Ansonia receives $385,000 for Main Street safety improvement project

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday towns across Connecticut would be receiving grants to help improve safety. 

Ansonia will receive a grant totaling $385,000 towards a safety improvement project which will include sidewalk and bump-out installations as well as improvements to street lighting.
“The safety of our community should always be a top priority,” said state Rep. Linda Gentile, D-Ansonia. “There are so many great benefits from Ansonia’s economic health to the physical health of our residents in addition to improved safety that will come with new sidewalks and improved lighting. With this grant we have an opportunity to make Ansonia healthier and safer for all ages to walk and enjoy the great things our community has to offer. I thank the Governor for this investment in our town.”

Over 40 towns and cities were selected to receive state grants totaling $12.4 million administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. 
The funding will be used to support a variety of projects that improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.
For more information on the Community Connectivity Grant Program, please visit: http://ctconnectivity.com.

Ansonia to install double-bracket lights downtown, doubling illumination

Contributed photo

ANSONIA - The city has approved installation of 25 double-bracket lights on each of the existing Main Street and Kingston Drive vintage light poles, thus doubling current lighting capability.

When installation is completed by early spring, the Main Street corridor will be noticeably brighter to everyone. 

There will be no cost to the city for the new lights, brackets or installation. The only cost will be an estimated $6,000 annual increase in electricity from United Illuminating. 

This cost increase will be offset by the estimated $125,000 in annual electricity savings the city has just begun enjoying from the recently completed city-wide installation of more than 1,600 street lights to brighter, energy-saving 4,000 LEDs, also at no cost to taxpayers.

Mayor David S. Cassetti said adding the double-bracket lights was a creative and resourceful solution to brightening up Main Street, often noted as having a dull evening illumination.

The Main Street lighting issues date back to “the original vintage lamps installed by the previous administration and paid for by a grant received,” Cassetti said. 

“The lamps were spaced at 150 feet apart instead of the recommended 75 feet spacing,” he added. 

Without a grant, it would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to double up the light pole capacity. Adding double-lamps to each existing pole was the solution.

During Cassetti's first term in office, and through a grant received, the city upgraded West Main Street with new sidewalks, landscaping, and vintage light poles every 75 feet. “You can see the lighting difference on West Main Street with poles more closely spaced,” said Cassetti.

As a test in December UI installed a double-bracket lamp outside of City Hall with favorable feedback from the public and city officials.

This is a press release from the mayor's office.