Norwalk To Receive $800K State Grant For Streetscape Improvements

NORWALK, CT — Norwalk is among 17 municipalities statewide receiving funding through a new round of state transportation grants announced Monday by Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.

According to a news release provided by Lamont's office, the grants are being awarded through the DOT's Community Connectivity Grant Program.

Now in its seventh round of awards, this state-funded program provides financial support for local infrastructure initiatives that make conditions safer and more accommodating for pedestrians and bicyclists in urban, suburban, and rural centers.

"Connecting residents with their communities through these projects is vital to boosting economic development, creating dynamic town centers, and encouraging alternative modes of transportation like walking or biking," Lamont said in a news release. "Supporting this program improves the quality of life for towns and cities across the state."

According to the announcement, Norwalk will receive an $800,000 state grant for East Wall Street streetscape improvements.

"We remain focused on increasing safety and enhancing connectivity across Connecticut," Eucalitto said in a news release. "This grant program, which helps fund these important community-driven projects, is an integral part of our mission. This state funding is helping towns and cities deliver important projects. We’re grateful to Governor Lamont and the General Assembly for their continued support of these efforts."

In an emailed statement, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) celebrated the inclusion of Norwalk's East Wall Street streetscape improvements project in the newest round of statewide transportation infrastructure grants.

According to Duff, the project, part of the ongoing revitalization of the Wall Street neighborhood, will receive critical funding through the DOT's Community Connectivity Grant Program, helping Norwalk advance Phase II of its long-planned improvements that strengthen safety, mobility and economic vitality in the historic downtown.

Duff also noted he submitted a formal letter of support urging DOT to select the project for funding, emphasizing its importance as a long-awaited connection between the Wall Street neighborhood, East Avenue and the Norwalk Town Green.

"I want to thank DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, Deputy Commissioner Laoise King, and Norwalk Director of Transportation, Mobility and Parking Jim Travers for championing this project and helping move it across the finish line," Duff said in a statement. "Their partnership made this possible. This grant is another major step in our commitment to totally transform the Wall Street area. Over the last several years, we’ve secured tens of millions of dollars in state investment for this neighborhood — from Belden Avenue and Wall Street to Burnell Boulevard, Freese Park improvements, the District Music Hall renovation, Wall Street Place housing, and now this crucial East Wall Street streetscape project. Together, we are delivering the safe, vibrant, walkable downtown that Norwalk families and businesses deserve."

According to Duff, East Wall Street serves as a critical east–west crossing north of Interstate 95, linking neighborhoods across the Norwalk River and providing key access to downtown businesses, homes, parks, and transit.

The upgrades will complete the connection between the Wall Street district and East Avenue, advancing a vision for a more walkable, accessible, and economically thriving downtown, Duff said.

Planning for the corridor dates back to the 1986 Wall Street Business District Management Plan. The city broke ground on Phase I in 2024, supported by an earlier state appropriation secured by Duff, the senator noted.

Norwalk's project joins improvements planned across Connecticut, including sidewalk expansions, streetscape work and new cycle tracks.

Other grant recipients include Ansonia, Berlin, Branford, Bristol, Brookfield, Chester, Manchester, Marlborough, New Haven, North Haven, Old Lyme, Plainfield, Salisbury, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor Locks.

Each municipality can use its award for construction costs ranging from $100,000 to $800,000. Projects must be completed within three years.

Since the program began, the state has invested about $74 million across 155 awards.

More information about the Community Connectivity Grant Program is available here.