TTAC recommends Waterbury Urban Area congestion-management process to MPO after TMA designation

The MB Cloud Transportation Technical Advisory Committee recommended sending a congestion management process (CMP) for the Waterbury Urban Area to the MPO board for adoption at its March meeting, staff said Feb. 5.

Donovan, representing regional planning staff, reviewed the CMP requirement that followed a recent designation: the Waterbury Urban Area was designated a Transportation Management Area (TMA) by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Oct. 31, 2023. "One of the major requirements that comes out of that is that we must develop and maintain a congestion management process," Donovan said. The CMP is intended to be an ongoing process—monitoring congestion, documenting hotspots and developing strategies—rather than a single report.

Donovan told the committee that because major highway expansions are unlikely in the region, the CMP will emphasize targeted operational improvements, signal timing optimization, access management and expanded transit and active-transportation options including the Naugatuck River Greenway and local bus network improvements. He said the CMP will also consider arterials in addition to National Highway System roads where appropriate.

A motion to recommend adoption of the Waterbury Urban Area CMP to the MB Cloud MPO board was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; committee members said the document will be available for public comment before the board acts.

Why it matters: designation as a TMA triggers federal requirements for congestion management and gives the region additional planning influence. The CMP guides near-term strategies—traffic signal and access improvements, transit frequency and active-transportation expansion—rather than large-scale highway builds.

Next steps: staff will circulate CMP materials and graphs ahead of the MPO board meeting and the CMP will be available for public comment in the run-up to the March board meeting.