Reconnecting Communities Initiative

City of New Haven, CT - City Plan has issued request for qualification, solicitation 2027-RFQ-CNH-395.

The City of New Haven is seeking qualifications for a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a comprehensive Reconnection Plan along I-91 in New Haven, Connecticut. The selected team must demonstrate experience in community-driven planning processes with a high level of technical capability to work in a diverse urban environment with a commitment to integrating climate adaptation, resilience, and equity into infrastructure and project planning. This project is funded primarily with a $2 Million Reconnecting Communities Pilot planning grant from USDOT, with a period of performance of 2 years for this planning process. The City envisions this effort as a strong partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to ensure that the future of I-91 in New Haven continues to provide access to the City and function within the broader regional highway system, while also supporting the City’s goals for housing, sustainability, resiliency, neighborhood revitalization and reconnection, and transportation efficiency & safety, in part through land reclamation, and enhanced transit, pedestrian, and bicycle connectivity. The effort is designed to investigate and develop a comprehensive and strategic Plan for improving mobility, land use, environmental conditions, economic vitality, and neighborhood cohesion along the I-91 corridor through the City of New Haven. The study will align with both New Haven and CTDOT’s vision, while adhering to FHWA’s requirements for implementing feasible improvements through transportation planning best practices, FHWA’s Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) and the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Frameworks.

New Haven’s I ‑ 91 Neighborhood Reconnection Initiative seeks to address and repair the long-term impacts of interstate highway construction on surrounding communities by exploring and identifying transportation issues and priorities along I-95 and the surrounding ½ mile buffer of collector and arterial surface roadways. The City has long been at the forefront of urban renewal, most notably during the 1960’s when it became a "Model City" as part of a federal initiative to address urban poverty through redevelopment. This vision of progress, however, came with significant costs. Like many American cities, New Haven was one of the first to experience the deep, often painful impacts of highway development, which severed neighborhoods, displaced thousands of residents, and exacerbated economic decline in communities now isolated from downtown and key amenities. Today, the City has the opportunity to engage residents and stakeholders in identifying solutions that address not only the physical separation created by I-91, but also its broader impacts on mobility, land use, environmental conditions, economic vitality, and neighborhood cohesion from Exit 1 at the I-95 interchange to Exit 8 at the northern end of the study area ( see Attachment "G" in Attachments Section ).

Responses are due October 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT.

Questions must be submitted by October 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT.

A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for September 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT at Microsoft Teams meeting Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/21230793468694?p=SaaMK4oVICLfZh5jFR Meeting ID: 212 307 934 686 94 Passcode: Sq6wp3yZ ________________________________________ Need help? | System reference Dial in by phone +1 475-210-0242,,541825623# United States, Bridgeport Find a local number Phone conference ID: 541 825 623# For organizers: Meeting options | Reset dial-in PIN ________________________________________________________________________________.

Commodity categories: Land Development and Planning - Architectural; Planning, Urban (Community, Regional, Area wide, and State); Planning, Site (Installation and Project); Urban Planning Consulting; Land Development and Planning/Engineering; Planning and Advisory Services, Environmental; Miscellaneous Services, No. 1 (Not Otherwise Classified).

Contact: Devin Clarke, Senior Project Manager (dclarke@newhavenct.gov, (203) 815-3811).

7 documents are attached to the notice: 9a-Exhibit _RFP Standard Form of Agreement - City of New Haven; 9b-Exhibit_ RFP Standard Terms Part II - City of New Haven; ARPA Contractor Agreement ($100000 OR LESS) (MPB) (TEMPLATE 11-26-24 UPDATE); ARPA Contractor Agreement (More Than $100000) (MPB) (TEMPLATE 11-26-24 UPDATE); ARPA Subrecipient Subaward Agreement ($100000 OR LESS) (MPB) (TEMPLATE 11-26-24 UPDATE); ARPA Subrecipient Subaward Agreement (More Than $100000) (MPB) (TEMPLATE 11-26-24 UPDATE); Reconnecting Initiative Study Area Overview Map.

The full solicitation document, addenda and the question-and-answer thread are on the agency's OpenGov portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newhavenct/projects/282832. Responses are submitted electronically there, and a free vendor account is required before you can upload one.