The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reached an agreement with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to provide $275.3 million to help build the New Britain-Hartford Busway — Connecticut's first bus rapid transit (BRT) system.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff signed the full-funding grant agreement during a ceremony at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. The grant clears the way for the Connecticut DOT to begin construction of the bus rapid transit system and covers about half the total cost of the $567 million project.

Riders will be able to board the buses at several stations, and then bypass traffic on I-84 by traveling along exclusive bus lanes to destinations in downtown New Britain and Hartford. The project, which will take roughly two years to complete, is expected to create more than 4,000 construction-related jobs and 100 permanent jobs.

The busway will operate within an exclusive roadway along a 9.4-mile abandoned railroad right-of-way between downtown New Britain and downtown Hartford. The project will offer 11 stations; park and ride connections to other suburban transit service; and 31 new clean fuel buses, which will serve the communities of New Britain, Newington, West Hartford and Hartford, and connect to Amtrak intercity rail service at Hartford's Union Station.

Residents in surrounding communities will have many options to connect to the busway, including commuter express, shuttle, circulator and feeder bus services. In addition, a multi-use trail will be constructed near the busway along a five-mile stretch between downtown New Britain and Newington, providing pedestrian and bicycle access at five stations.