Shoreline Trolley Museum Receives $2.25 Million for Improvements

The state Bond Commission Wednesday approved funding for a $2.25 million improvement project at the Shoreline Trolley Museum located in East Haven and Branford to install water and sewer lines to install fire sprinklers, relocate the maintenance shop from a flood plain, and construct visitor restrooms.

The project, which was supported by Rep. James Albis (D-East Haven), Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), Rep. Sean Scanlon (D-Branford, Guilford), Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Durham, Guilford, North Branford, Wallingford), Sen. Martin Looney (D-New Haven, Hamden, North Haven), Sen. Len Fasano (R-Durham, East Haven, North Haven, Wallingford) and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D- Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison, North Branford), received $1.5 million in state funding through the Grants-in-Aid Urban Development Program, which allocates funds for projects concerning economic and community development, transportation, environmental protection, public safety and social services.

"The museum is tremendously grateful to the governor and bipartisan team that helped us secure funding. Museums are about everyone, and this will ensure for years to come there will be a trolley collection," said Shoreline Trolley Museum President Wayne Sandford.

According to Sandford, the addition of a water main and sewer line would allow for the installation of a sprinkler system, which would increase fire suppression. Currently, the East Haven campus has municipal water and sewer utilities; however the larger Branford museum campus does not have these services, which in the case of an emergency, would impede a fire response because the closest source of fire protection water is a hydrant located 1,500 feet from the museum.

State aid will allow the museum to relocate its maintenance facility out of a flood plain, eliminating the museum's current practice to prepare for flooding events, which can take two days, and expand its shop to better accommodate visitors as well as students through a partnership with Gateway Community College, which provides experience to railroad engineering students.

Sewage and water services would also allow for the construction of restrooms, which would be an improvement from the portalets the museum currently uses, increasing tourism and making the museum more family-friendly.

For more information about the museum or the project, contact Executive Director of the Shoreline Trolley Museum John Proto at 203-467-6927 or by email at director@shorelinetrolley.org<mailto:director@shorelinetrolley.org>