Invest In Transportation Infrastructure

April 18, 2019

We have heard from constituents, experts, Republicans and Democrats – everyone agrees that our entire transportation infrastructure needs significant investment in order to grow our economy.

Republicans and Democrats agree that Connecticut should be dedicating $700-$800 million/year to transportation repairs and improvements. Republicans want to put it on the state’s credit card and have state taxpayers foot the bill with interest.

Connecticut has made the “buy now, pay for it later” mistake before and I firmly believe we should not head down that path again.

Democrats are talking about tolls on the four major highways that would capture 40 percent of the toll revenue from out-of-state drivers.

A recent editorial in The Day encourages us to push past Republican political posturing and adopt a toll plan.

The Republican plan will increase borrowing by $700 million per year. Their borrowing proposal, plain and simple, will result in an income tax increase. In addition, their credit-card borrowing would cause our bond rating to plummet, making every transportation project more expensive to finance.

Here is what is on the table for tolls:

  • 40 percent of the revenue from tolls will be paid by out-of-state drivers
  • Toll gantries on I-84, I-95, I-91 and the Merritt Pkwy
  • Gantries will be located every 6-7 miles and frequent commuters and CT residents will get discounts
  • Tolls will be less than 5 cents-per-mile
  • No more than 50 gantries in total
  • Revenues from tolls will be exclusively used on transportation projects

It’s time to stop the scare tactics. The plan we are considering today is realistic and doesn’t place the burden solely on Connecticut taxpayers.

Let’s continue to have our conversations, but let’s agree to do what is right in order to keep Connecticut growing and moving in the right direction.