HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Republican senators raised concerns Wednesday about proposed highway tolls, saying there’s no evidence they will generate revenue for the state’s transportation needs.
Senate GOP leader Len Fasano explained how Connecticut can only pursue so-called congestion mitigation tolls, a way to manage traffic flows by charging a higher fee during the busiest drive times. The state cannot reinstate tolls on the state border without putting federal funding at risk because of an agreement it signed with federal authorities 34 years ago.
“We know what doesn’t work, but we have yet to see real details on what can work,” Fasano said. “As budget discussions continue, I hope all lawmakers recognize that building a budget that relies on tolls with so many unknowns is a dangerous proposition that could lead our state down a road with far more debt and even bigger transportation problems.”
Connecticut doesn’t have highway tolls. Fasano appeared Tuesday with his fellow GOP senators and a representative of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut to voice opposition to implementing tolls, an issue Democratic House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said he expects will come up in state budget negotiations. Besides a projected $2.3 billion deficit in the new fiscal year that begins July 1, the state’s main account for transportation funding could be insolvent in four years unless additional revenues are identified.
Aresimowicz said Wednesday he believes “tolls are inevitable in the state of Connecticut” and residents understand the need for tolls.
“The amount of money raised in our neighboring states for their transportation projects from tolls is absolutely astounding,” he said. “And here we are with the Special Transportation Fund that’s going to be broke in 2020, 2021 unless we come up with answers.”
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This story has been corrected to show Fasano spoke Wednesday, not Tuesday.
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