Reps. Zawistowski and Storms Respond to Tolling Proposals

Last Thursday, the Transportation Committee considered four bills to bring tolls to our highways and establish new agencies to set prices and locations. Two of the bills delegate decision-making to agencies staffed by unelected individuals, and would constitute an abdication of legislative authority.

These bills have innocuous titles such as HB 5046 “An Act Concerning the Sustainability of Transportation Projects”, HB 5391 “An Act Concerning Transportation Infrastructure”. Both would allow the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish tolls on roads I-91, I-84, I-95 and “any other highway” and give the agency ranging authority on rates and locations. Plans would be deemed approved if the legislature does not act on them within 30 days.

The other bills would establish new agencies to enact tolling without input from elected representatives. SB 389 “An Act Establishing a Connecticut Transportation Authority” would create a new quasi-public agency to operate tolls on and establish rates with all revenue going not to the Special Transportation Fund – but to the Authority. HB 5393 ‘An Act Establishing the Connecticut Transportation Finance Authority to Maintain Major State Highways” would establish a similar authority.

The Governor has predicted future insolvency of the Special Transportation Fund to justify tolls, higher gas taxes and a new tire tax – even as revenues into the fund have remained stable or are projected to increase. Meanwhile, he has increased borrowing on a massive scale to undertake new and sometime unnecessary projects – such as busways – and has neglected much-needed repairs to existing infrastructure. We need to find efficiencies and establish priorities before we take more money out of the wallets of working families, seniors and businesses – especially since more than 70% of toll revenues would be paid by Connecticut residents.

The bills are now headed to the House for further action; you can follow their progress on www.cga.ct.gov.

Tami Zawistowski

State Representative, Suffield, East Granby and Windsor

Scott Storms

State Representative, Windsor and Windsor Locks