Malloy Forms Connecticut Transportation Panel

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has formed a panel to explore financing options for overhauling its transportation infrastructure "over the next 30 years and beyond."

The nine-member, nonpartisan Transportation Finance Panel consists of experts in transportation, finance and economic development, Malloy said late Tuesday.

"What we need now is a cohesive, coordinated strategy," said Malloy. "We need to make the smart decisions today so that we can build a brighter tomorrow."

Cameron Staples, president of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, will chair the group. Staples is former co-chairman of the General Assembly's Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. The panel will begin meeting in April and is expected to conclude by the end of the summer.

Earlier this year, Malloy announced a two-part transportation plan consisting of a five-year ramp-up that uses $10 billion in capital funding, and leads to a 30-year vision using $100 billion in funding.

The announcement came as lawmakers weigh a bill paving the way for electronic highway tolling. The General Assembly's Transportation Committee two weeks ago approved a measure calling for the transportation commissioner to develop a program for tolling. The commissioner would have to detail the plan by Jan. 1. Any tolling would require federal approval.

Connecticut abolished tolls on Interstate 95 in 1985, two years after a fiery collision killed seven people at the Stratford toll plaza.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Connecticut officials to consider input from bordering communities in his state, given the possibility of a toll at the state line.

"The toll could clog up streets in Rye and Port Chester, affect emergency response times, harm local air quality, and hinder local business activity," Schumer said Tuesday at Port Chester Village Hall.

Port Chester and Rye both sit across the state line near Greenwich, Conn.

Schumer cited a Connecticut study that said that roughly 10% of the 140,000 cars and trucks that use I-95 daily would exit the highway and use local streets to avoid paying the toll.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Infrastructure Transportation industry Connecticut
MORE FROM BOND BUYER