Norwalk, CT - The Norwalk Transit District is slated to receive $403,000 to cover the required matching funds for reconstruction of the Norwalk pulse point when the State Bond Commission meets next week, state Senator Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and Representative Chris Perone (D-Norwalk) announced Thursday.
The nearly $4 million project is primarily financed through $1.5 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds and a series of additional federal grants totaling $1.8 million that require a leveraging state match.
The project includes a 600-foot canopy, security cameras, shelters, seating, bike racks, security phones and other passenger amenities. Pulse point, located on Burnell Boulevard, serves as a hub for the transit district’s bus services in the city.
“This is an important project for the City of Norwalk as well as Norwalk residents and the ridership that relies on our local bus system,” said Senator Duff, who serves as vice chair of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee. “The improvements to not only the comfort and hospitability at pulse point but also to the facility’s security are much needed and long overdue. I’d like to thank Governor Malloy for recognizing the importance of this project to Norwalk and including this funding on the Bond Commission’s next agenda.”
“I’m extremely happy that this is happening,” Representative Perone said. “As we all work to develop downtown Norwalk and a thriving local economy, we need a pulse point that is clean, safe and accessible and that provides a real service to the ridership. I also want to extend my thanks to the governor for recognizing how important this is to the city of Norwalk.”
“This is the last piece of the funding puzzle for the pulse point, which now gives us access to the balance of the federal funds that are going to pay for the completion of the project,” said Norwalk Transit District Administrator Louis Schulman. “We’re very grateful to Senator Duff for staying on top of this issue and speaking on our behalf over a period of several years to make it happen.”
The pulse point project is expected to create or retain 78 construction-related jobs.
The funds are expected to be approved when the State Bond Commission meets on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
