Welcome to the SCRCOG monthly newsletter where you can find updates on our transportation planning, regional planning, and municipal services programs. 

FY23 Housing Working Group Meetings

October's Housing Working Group Meeting

Prong 2: Community Engagement

CT's Affordable Housing Conference (CAHC) 2022: Building Stability

FY23 Information Technology Workshop Series

Workshop 1: Incident Response, Oct. 26th

• how to prepare your municipality for an incident,
• how to detect potential security threats in your environment,
• how to contain them,
• how to investigate the potential impact of the threat on your systems and data,
• how to preserve evidence, and
• how to recover safely from a cyber incident.

CT DEEP Climate Resiliency Funding

DEEP has announced the launch of the first round of its Climate Resilience Fund.  Two tracks exist within this fund:

Track 1: Planning
Applicants can seek up to $250,000 to fund climate resilience planning that addresses the impacts of climate-related hazards, including how climate change increases weather-related risks.  Send all application materials in one email to
DEEP.climateresilience@ct.gov by 11:59 pm, Thursday, November 10th.

Track 2: Project Development
Applicants can seek funds to advance resilience project scoping and development that would lead to federal funding for implementation (those which could result in a FEMA implementation grant).  Expected funding requests range from $300,000 to $700,000, but applications for amounts outside of this range may still be considered.  Send all application materials in one email to DEEP.climateresilience@ct.gov.  The final deadline is 11:59 pm, Thursday, December 1st.

Eligible applicants regardless of track are: municipalities, councils of government, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and private sector entities.

SCRCOG staff is working on an application for an implementation plan to prioritize qualified projects identified in existing regional plans.

For more information, including application materials, please visit DEEP's website. 

National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grants

The primary goal of the Culvert AOP Program is to improve or restore anadromous fish passage through the replacement, removal, repair, or improvement of culverts or weirs. The grant program prioritizes projects that would improve fish passage for: (A) anadromous fish stocks listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. § 1533); (B) anadromous fish stocks identified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that could reasonably become listed as an endangered species or a threatened species under that section; (C) anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or the USFWS as prey for endangered species, threatened species, or protected species, including Southern resident orcas (Orcinus orca); or (D) anadromous fish stocks identified by the NMFS or the USFWS as climate resilient stocks (49 U.S.C. § 6703(e)(1)). The program also prioritizes projects that would open up more than 200 meters of upstream (anadromous) habitat before the end of the natural habitat (49 U.S.C. § 6703(e)(2)).

To view the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), click here.

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)

This program is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and allows the Department of Homeland Security to make cybersecurity investments in state, local, and territory (SLT) government agencies.  $1 billion dollars will be available over the next four years through the SLCGP and the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program.

Eligible applicants for the FY22 SLCGP include state agencies with local governments as sub-recipients.  Applications are due on the 15th of November 2022.

For more information, click here.

Thriving Communities Program

Funded with $25 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of
2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Thriving Communities Program (TCP) aims to ensure that disadvantaged communities adversely or disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health policy outcomes have the technical tools and organizational capacity to compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.

TCP facilitates the planning and development of transportation and community revitalization activities and provides tools to ensure that under‐resourced communities can access the historic funding provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The Thriving Communities Program will be administered by the Build America Bureau as part of its broader efforts to provide technical assistance to communities.

More Information can be found on the USDOT website.

The Next Sustainable CT Coffee Hour: Funding Sustainability Actions

Sustainable CT hosts virtual informal discussions most third Fridays of each month at 10:00 am.  They share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions.  These sessions are free and open to all.  The next one is on the 21st of October 2022 at 10:00 am.  To register, click here.

Sustainable CT's Community Match Fund Featured by CT Public

CT Public has produced a third episode of Re:source:ful - Growing Sustainable Communities, which features inspiring stories from Sustainable CT's Community Match Fund.

To watch the episode, click here.

Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), CT 2022

COG Coordination Meeting: SCRCOG attended the Monthly COG Coordination Meeting with DOT on October 4th. The agenda included a review of the Connecticut State Rail Plan, a presentation on Carbon Reduction Program and an update on the statewide freight plan. There was also a monthly update of the LEAN process.

Carbon Reduction Program: At the COG monthly meeting, CTDOT gave a presentation on this new program. Connecticut expects to receive $79 million dollars in funding over the next 5 years. The program is designed to reduce carbon emissions through development of state carbon reduction strategies and funding projects that reduce carbon emissions. Information is available on our website.

Unified Planning Work Program: In preparation for the next 2‐year UPWP, SCRCOG is soliciting transportation planning studies from the region. A formal notice will be sent out and posted on the website as well. SCRCOG staff continues work to advance the seven new transportation studies in FY 23, contracts will be signed over the next few weeks.

LOTCIP: SCRCOG staff met with CTDOT on October 18th for an annual review of the LOTCIP funding. At this time, the region has 16 projects in LOTCIP that accounts for more than 48 million dollars in programming. Projects include Bridge replacements, road reconstruction, safety improvements and sidewalks. As a new list of LOTCIP proposed projects is developed, SCRCOG is turning its focus to project delivery and scheduling and will work with our partners at the CTDOT.

I-95 PEL Study: On October 4th, CTDOT announced the launch of I‐95 Eastern CT Planning & Environmental Linkages Study between Branford and Rhode Island. The PEL Study is an early‐planning effort to identify improvements to reduce congestion and improve travel time along Interstate 95 (I‐95) from Exit 53 in Branford to the Rhode Island state line.

More information on this study can be found here.

Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP): Launched on October 12th, TRIP provides state funds to municipal governments for infrastructure improvements in rural areas of Connecticut. Activities may include transportation capital projects such as construction, modernization, or major repair of infrastructure. Based on the program guidelines, Bethany is the only municipality eligible for this program. SCRCOG will assist the town with their application.