Keep the push on smart development

Connecticut has to reshape itself from a state that people flee at the first opportunity, to a state that is attractive not only to those who live here, but to people looking to make a start or change in life.

It will be up to a new governor and Legislature to figure out how to address Connecticut’s bigpicture problem of failing transportation infrastructure.

In the meantime, as his days wind down, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is pushing ahead in small ways to work on the underpinnings of a society that will be less dependent on individual autos and decrease sprawl.

On Friday, the governor announced a second round of grants to municipalities to nurture transit-oriented development, the creation of vibrant, walkable, mixeduse communities in proximity to transportation centers and arteries.

The state’s interstate highways and parkways, particularly in southwestern Connecticut, are clogged impediments to economic growth. And there’s no question they need massive work — and a massive pile of revenue to do the work.

Hence, the ongoing talk about electronic tolls.

But in a smaller way, creating urban environments in which cars become less and less a necessity, we are nibbling from underneath at the problem. And also creating the opportunity for jobs and the local economy to flourish.

Malloy on Friday announced grants of totaling about $8.5 million for five projects, including $2 million for Danbury to improve sidewalks and streetscapes near the train station; $2 million for Stamford for similar improvements near the Springdale station; and $2 million for Torrington for sidewalk improvements.

Other allotments went to Hartford and West Hartford.

These grants were on top of $15 million given to 11 communities, including Stratford and Norwalk.

The concentration of these grants so far has rightly been to the state’s cities and large towns.

It’s in the cities where the greatest opportunity for economic development and job growth lies.

The state’s Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, empaneled by the Legislature, made it abundantly clear in a comprehensive report issued earlier this year, that vibrant cities are critical to Connecticut’s ability to revitalize its economy by attracting the young.

Mixed-use development close to transportation centers creates the opportunity for people to live, work, dine and find recreation without the need to rely on a car for every move.

“Transportation isn’t just about cars, trains, and buses — it’s about building vibrant communities and continuing to make Connecticut a more attractive place to live, visit, and do business,” the governor said when he announced the grants.

He is right. Connecticut has to reshape itself from a state that people flee at the first opportunity, to a state that is attractive not only to those who live here, but to people looking to make a start or change in life.

Certainly, there is major restructuring that the next governor and legislative leaders are going to have to tackle. If they are going to be true leaders, they are going to have to make painful decisions and not try to avoid them.

But Malloy’s support for transit-oriented development is pushing the state in the right direction.