MAYOR ELICKER CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF NEW ORANGE STREET INTERSECTION, THE SECOND OF THREE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE-FRIENDLY “CROSSINGS” OF THE DOWNTOWN CROSSING PROJECT AND A WELCOMING NEW GATEWAY TO NEW HAVEN

New intersection reconnects severed streets and neighborhoods and promotes the flow and flourishing of people, community, and commerce.

NEW HAVEN, CT – Today, Mayor Justin Elicker joined federal, state, and local leaders and the New Haven community to celebrate one of the most significant milestones of the Downtown Crossing project to date: the opening of the new Orange Street intersection across the former Route 34 highway connector, including the ceremonial first crossing at Orange Street and Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard.  (See attached photo and video here of the ceremonial first crossing.)

Orange Street is the second of three intersections or crossings being built across the former Route 34 corridor, a one-mile, limited-access spur that separated the Hill neighborhood from Downtown New Haven. Downtown Crossing is a four-phase City of New Haven infrastructure project that is transforming the former highway into a system of urban boulevards for pedestrians, bicyclists, and slower speed motor vehicle traffic. One of the earliest highway removal projects in the nation, Downtown Crossing is reclaiming New Haven streets previously severed by the construction of the highway during so-called “urban renewal” era and, for the first time in 60 years, reconnecting the Hill neighborhood to Downtown New Haven. The Orange Street intersection is Phase 2 of Downtown Crossing and reconnects Orange Street to South Orange Street with an at-grade intersection across the former Route 34 corridor. The new crossing also features the first protected intersection in Connecticut, providing designated paths for bicyclists and pedestrians separate from those used by motor vehicle traffic crossing an intersection.

“Downtown Crossing represents a conscious effort to reverse mistakes of the past and to reconnect our streets and neighborhoods in ways that promote the flow and flourishing of people, commerce, and ideas. I am proud to be the mayor of a city that is among the earliest to undertake a highway removal project, and I am grateful for the vision, support, and efforts of partners at the local, state, and federal levels that helped make it possible—including the New Haven community,” said Mayor Justin Elicker.  “This is much more than the opening a new pedestrian and bicycle-friendly intersection. We are also celebrating the reconnection of city streets and neighborhoods torn away from each other in years past, and charting a new way forward with the creation of a vibrant new gateway to the city that can be safely shared by pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles alike.”

Once completed, the four phases of Downtown Crossing will reconnect previously severed streets linking Downtown New Haven, Union Station (with Metro North, Hartford Line, and regional Amtrak service), the medical district, and the Hill neighborhood. Over the course of the project, approximately 10 acres of prime land will be reclaimed and made available for economic development, without displacing existing residential or business districts. Two new privately developed buildings, one completed and the other currently in construction, have been built on unused land freed up by removal of the highway. The construction of 100 College Street has created hundreds of jobs and contributes over $5 million to the City’s grand list annually. 101 College, currently under construction, is expected to expand the City’s tax base, add over 800 direct, well-paying bioscience jobs as well as spur approximately 7,000 additional jobs to the local economy.

Others attending the ceremony and sharing remarks, included: Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro; Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz; New Haven Alder Carmen Rodriguez (Ward 6); long-time Hill neighborhood resident Thomasine Shaw; Carlo Leone, Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation; and Amy Jackson-Grove, Connecticut Division Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration.

“The Downtown Crossing project has reached a significant milestone in the opening of the Orange Street intersection. This is a win for our regional economy,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. “This project is an investment for a thriving community that will expand transportation options, give small businesses a new haven, and creates a network of jobs – connecting people to new opportunities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure law makes historic investments that take action to protect our neighborhoods, like reconnecting the Hill neighborhood and Downtown New Haven. This is a purpose-driven innovation that is building a better America. I am proud that this foundational step for Downtown Crossing addresses the infrastructural and economic resiliency of a city we all love. You have my word that I will always support the development of New Haven’s Downtown Crossing for generations to come.”

“Downtown Crossing is correcting injustices that occurred when the Route 34 highway was built, displacing 800 families, thousands of people, and dozens of businesses. In addition to removing the Oak Street neighborhood, the construction of the Route 34 highway served as a physical and psychological barrier that separated the Hill neighborhood from Downtown New Haven for decades,” said Alder Carmen Rodriguez (Ward 6), in whose district the new Orange Street intersection is located.  “I am proud and optimistic that Downtown Crossing is undoing this damage, reconnecting the Hill neighborhood to Downtown New Haven. Overall, the Downtown Crossing project includes a Community Benefits package that will further level the playing field for New Haven residents and work to undo former injustices.”

At the height of so-called “urban renewal” era in New Haven, Route 34 was converted from a road that wound through New Haven streets into a limited-access highway. In the early 1960s, a neighborhood was demolished for construction of the highway, displacing 881 households and dozens of businesses.  The approximately mile-long stretch of highway was ironically named the "Oak Street Connector" after the neighborhood that was removed to build it. A plan to extend the one-mile connector was never completed, leaving the City of New Haven with a swath of undevelopable, untaxable land, and neighborhoods cut off from each other by the physical barrier of the highway. 

“Downtown Crossing is reconnecting neighborhoods, creating new economic development opportunities, and improving walkability—all contributing to a more vibrant downtown,” said Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “The State of Connecticut and the Department of Economic and Community Development is proud to be a part of the coalition of stakeholders and funders that are doing so much to transform this area in ways that will benefit residents and local businesses alike.”

Initial planning for the removal of the highway began in the early 2000s to enable economic growth, restore the urban streetscape, and create a more welcoming, safer environment for pedestrians. The City moved ahead with Downtown Crossing in 2010 with the help of a $16 million competitive federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery II (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The City received a second TIGER grant in 2016. An additional $21.5 million from the Connecticut Department of Economic Development and Community Development supported the economic development elements of the project. The Connecticut Department of Transportation and the City of New Haven contributed additional support for the project. 

Thomasine Shaw, a longtime resident of the Hill neighborhood, was active in the planning of Downtown Crossing for many years.

“Downtown Crossing shows that ideas of progress change," said Shaw. "The old neighborhood can't be brought back, but by working together we—the City and community— have created a plan that reconnects neighborhoods where people will again be able to walk and ride their bikes to school and work and the corner store, creating healthier options outside of car-only transportation."   

“Our highway system cut through cities when it was built decades ago, and today, we continue to right those wrongs by reconnecting communities, neighborhoods, and businesses,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe Giulietti. “Downtown Crossing is a great example of how local, state, and federal partners can work together on improving motorist, bicyclist, and pedestrian safety and connectivity.”

"I want to commend New Haven for being among the first cities in the nation to remove an underutilized highway to create a more walkable, sustainable urban landscape and robust local economy," said Amy Jackson-Grove, Connecticut Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration. "The addition of these Phase 2 improvements further strengthens New Haven's bicycle infrastructure and includes the first protected bike intersection in Connecticut. Downtown Crossing is a template for cities around the country looking to create streetscapes that invite foot and bicycle traffic and economic development that adds jobs and investment in the local economy. " 

Phase 1 of Downtown Crossing began in 2013 with the conversion of Route 34 to urban boulevards and the reconstruction of College Street with pedestrian and bicycle amenities. The addition of the new Orange Street intersection (Phase 2) and bike and pedestrian improvements further strengthens New Haven's bicycle infrastructure. The new Orange Street intersection is Connecticut’s first protected bike and pedestrian intersection, providing separate, individual crossing lanes and phases for bicyclists and pedestrians. Outside the protected bicycle-pedestrian intersection, the route from Orange to South Orange Street will also have generous sidewalks and bike lanes. Narrower motor vehicle lane widths are designed to encourage drivers not to exceed the 25 MPH speed limit.

Today’s event also commemorated the completion of Phase 3 of Downtown Crossing, which began in the spring of 2021, and included foundation work in preparation for a future bridge that will connect Temple Street to Congress Avenue in Phase 4.

Phase 4 of Downtown Crossing calls for the construction of the bridge connecting Temple Street to Congress Avenue which will be designed to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and slower vehicular traffic. That phase of the project is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2025.