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As reported and published by the CT News Junkie

HARTFORD, CT – The Transportation Committee held its first meeting of the 2025 legislative session Wednesday morning, setting an agenda that will deal with everything from traffic safety to towing to mass transit improvements to the trade relationship with Puerto Rico.

“You’re going to see lots of concepts today and in the coming weeks dealing with all things road safety, making sure we have a wonderful state that’s walkable, cyclable, drivable, that we have a wonderful public transportation system in place and that we are dealing with clean air and making sure that we are being environmentally friendly and recognizing our impact on greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, co-chair of the committee.

“So that’s really what we’ll be focused on. You’ll see that in our agenda. This is, by and large, a bipartisan committee that we work very well together with our ranking members,” she said. “We screen together, we deliberate together, and I’m proud of the work that we have done together and have put forth, and I anticipate that we will have, and be operating in a similar vein moving forward in this 2025 session.”

In introducing her co-chair – Rep. Aimee Berger-Girvalo, D-Ridgefield – Cohen noted that it may be the first time in the committee’s history that it has been co-chaired by two women.

Rep. Kathy Kennedy, R-Milford, the ranking House member of the committee, shared Cohen’s appreciation for the bipartisan nature of the committee and said it was a key element for the important work the committee will take up. 

“The biggest thing with transportation is safety, as the chair had mentioned,” Kennedy said. “And it’s safety not just in your vehicles, but as pedestrians and bicyclists and everything that’s walkable and what we can do in the state of Connecticut. We’ve seen on our roadways a lot of tragedy, a lot of things going on. We are going to address a lot of that this year and we do work in a very bipartisan manner. We may at times disagree with how we get to the end result, but we will have very good dialogue I hope, and be respectful of each other’s opinions and hopefully come together with legislation that is good for all the residents of the state of Connecticut.”

As of Wednesday, Connecticut had reported 12 traffic fatalities in 2025, including five pedestrians.

Sen. Tony Hwang, the committee’s ranking Senate Republican, said that the committee’s goals include roadway safety, mass transit efficiency, delving into solutions for climate change, and reducing energy and fossil fuel usage.

“It is a big committee, but we’ve been able to manage it because we’re open and transparent, as evidenced by today,” Hwang said. “We’re going to raise a number of bills. Some of it we will defer to public hearing to hear the public engagement, and then have committee engagement, so we may not always agree. But nevertheless, we’re involved, we’re participating, and we’re looking at a common goal, roadway safety, mass transit efficiency, and ensuring that every aspect as part of Vision Zero that this committee passed is in full effect to reduce fatalities and preventable tragedies on our roadways.”

The committee worked through the opening agenda quickly, approving seven concepts to be drafted as raised bills at a later date. These include:

  • An Act Concerning Non-Consensual Towing.
  • An Act Concerning Heavy Duty Towing.
  • An Act Concerning The Use Of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices.
  • An Act Concerning Electric Foot Scooters, Electric Bicycles, And Motor Scooters.
  • An Act Concerning The Suspension Of Motor Vehicle Operators’ Licenses For Moving Violations.
  • An Act Concerning Bus Public Transportation For High School Students.
  • An Act Concerning The Installation Of Sound Barriers.
  • An Act Concerning Markings Upon Highways.

The committee also approved five proposed bills to be drafted as committee bills. These were:

  • Proposed S.B. No. 292 An Act Requiring Approval By The Municipality And Any Abutting Property Owner Prior To The Erection Of A Permanent Sign On A Municipal Road. (Tra)
  • Proposed S.B. No. 714 An Act Restoring Service On The Shore Line East Rail Line. (Tra)
  • Proposed S.B. No. 774 An Act Concerning The Offering Price Of A Motor Vehicle By A Car Dealer. (Tra)
  • Proposed H.B. No. 5240 An Act Requiring The Placement Of Traffic Cones Around Certain Landscaping Vehicles When Parked On A Public Highway. (Tra)
  • Proposed H.B. No. 5766 An Act Increasing The Fine For Parking In Front Of A Fire Hydrant. (Tra)

Finally, the committee also approved a proposed bill as a change of resolution. H.R. No. 9 calls on the United States Congress to amend the Jones Act to improve economic and trade relations between the state of Connecticut and Puerto Rico, by modifying the rules surrounding which kinds of vessels can carry nonessential and specialized cargo and simplifying compliance requirements on businesses.

The next meeting of the committee will be determined at a later date.