Downtown Hartford’s Statehouse Square

Statehouse Square has historically been the crossing point or hub of the entire transportation system for downtown Hartford. The closure of State Street and its Isle of Safety decades ago displaced much of the transit activity and put a heavy burden on surrounding streets to carry the load in what is the most congested part of downtown. The anticipation of the proposed CT Fastrack bus rapid transit line made it clear that the Statehouse Square site was critical for the success of any city wide transit improvements. The plan proposes to reopen State Street for bus operations while maintaining a safe pedestrian environment. It proposes a redesigned State House garden and plaza extension at it’s eastern end, wider sidewalks at the perimeter of the square, and “green pockets”; storm water management infrastructure at each bus parking bay including rain capturing bus shelters, permeable pavers, bioswales and rain gardens.