Norwich — A long-range plan on the region's transportation needs and priorities through 2045 will go to public hearing at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments office at 5 Connecticut Ave.

The Council of Governments is required to update the plan every four years. The plan's purpose is to identify "the long-range transportation needs of the southeastern Connecticut region and to create a general policy guide for the future allocation of available public resources to address those needs," the document states.

"We’re interested to see if this follows people's goals for the region," said Kate Rattan, planner III/program manager from the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, regarding the public hearing.

The draft Southeastern Connecticut Metropolitan Transportation Plan lists top priorities for future projects that would have a statewide impact, said Rattan. The projects, many taken from the state Department of Transportation's priority list, include improving Interstate 95 from Old Lyme to East Lyme, Exit 74 on I-95 in East Lyme, the I-95/I-395 interchange, and frontage roads in Waterford and New London; pursuing "spot improvements" on I-95 east of the Thames River; and enhancing the Mohegan-Pequot Bridge with additional lanes and bike path and walkway.

The updated plan replaces the extension of Route 11, included in the previous plan, with improvements to Route 85 in Salem, Montville and Waterford.

The plan also calls for following recommendations from the council's 2019 SCCOG Regional Bike and Pedestrian Plan to improve opportunities for walking and bicycling in southeastern Connecticut.

It further proposes expanding Shore Line East and lists "more trains, expanded hours of service, and extending the rail service to meet MBTAs trains in North Kingstown, R.I.," as top priorities. The document also calls for improving bus service.

The plan states that service between Norwich and New London would be split into two routes.

"Route 980 would provide express bus service on the half hour and would utilize Route 32 and I-395. Route 600 would provide local service via Route 32 and New London Turnpike hourly. To enable these service changes the region seeks to upgrade the signal equipment to provide bus priority on local routes. The project would also include defined stops with signage and shelters," states the plan.

Regional strategies outlined in the plan include providing transit, especially for businesses, low-income workers and aging residents; implementing "Complete Streets that encourage transit use, biking and walking;" having coordinated transportation that takes advantage of technology; and supporting a transportation system that is safe, reliable and resilient in the face of natural hazards.

The plan calls for encouraging ridesharing; prioritizing the expansion and improvement of sidewalks and bike facilities; improving coordination of rail, port and road freight; determining where critical infrastructure is located in flood-prone areas; and adopting the state Department of Transportation's performance standards so the council can "identify and prioritize projects which will result in a sustainable and resilient transportation system."

The plan also includes a section on technology, including autonomous cars, and connected vehicles, which "use communication technologies to communicate with the driver, other cars and roadside infrastructure." 

In formulating the plan, the council looked at how technology is going to change the way the state provides services and how to ensure the region has the infrastructure to support the economy in the next decades, among other topics.

The plan notes trends, such as the shifting funding landscape, how to make up for the diminishing resource of the gas tax, and the need to adopt new technologies, which are being used across transportation sectors, from people checking a bus schedule on their phone to tracking a package for a freight delivery, Rattan said.

"Technology is affecting every aspect of transportation," she said.

The council prepared the plan with assistance from the state Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

k.drelich@theday.com

If You Go

What: Public comment on the draft Southeastern Connecticut Metropolitan Transportation Plan 

When: 5 p.m. Wednesday 

Where: Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments' office, 5 Connecticut Ave., Norwich

More information: Comments can be emailed to office@seccog.org or mailed to the council of governments' office