Governor Lamont Presents Plan to Transform Connecticut’s Transportation System; Draws Strong Support from the CT Business Community.
On November 7, Governor Lamont presented a ten-year vision called CT2030 to create a multi-modal, congestion-reduced Connecticut through smart enhancement projects in the state’s highways, trains, buses, airports, and ports. CT2030 leverages new funding and financing sources to the tune of $21 billion. The plan calls for an investment of $14 billion in roads and bridges, and $7 billion in public transit systems. Governor Lamont’s plan is intended to hopefully improve transportation infrastructure throughout Connecticut and significantly reduce travel times for commuters in, and through, the state.
“Right now, our gasoline tax is going this way and our costs are going this way, and they cross and they crash in about 2025,” Lamont said. “I’m not going to put this off any longer.” Governor Lamont noted that the Special Transportation Fund will dry up by 2025 and that the state can no longer rely on revenue streams like the gasoline tax to make the transportation investments needed.
The reaction from legislators has been measured. “There are significant challenges with this plan,” state Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano said. While Fasano commended the governor for detailing a ten year vision towards needed repairs and upgrade work including chokepoints, bridges and rail, he said “we could agree that that is something that makes sense. The issue comes down to how to finance this thing?”
The following Monday at a press conference, Governor Lamont touted the business community’s support and encouragement for making transformative improvements to Connecticut’s transportation system. Among some of the companies offering their support include Aetna, Pratt & Whitney, Travelers, Boehring, Ingelhiem USA, Stanley Black & Decker, and The Hartford. Lamont indicated the CEO’s told him this is a quality of life issue, getting time back is important for their stakeholders and employees and investing in a fiscal responsible way helps them to stay, grow and hire more good paying jobs, noting that improving transportation is key for Connecticut’s economic growth and future.
Lamont told reporters that he planned to conduct routine weekly updates on accomplishments and was asked if he would do town halls for some of the states more rural areas. The governor agreed that he should do town halls to express progress being made as well as the strong support from business and labor.
Governor Baker’s Five-Year $18 Billion Bond Bill
Governor Baker has introduced a five-year, $18 billion bond bill that would fund existing programs and initiatives projected to lessen roadway congestion and “ensure reliable travel throughout the Commonwealth.”
Baker’s plan outlines $10.1 billion for Massachusetts DOT highway projects of which $5.6 billion would be routed to federal aid highway construction while $3.1 billion would be designated for highway work not supported by the federal government. $1.25 billion would be for bridge repair and $150 million would be spent to pave area roads.
“This $18 billion transportation plan legislation lays the groundwork for a transportation system that will meet the future travel needs of our residents and support a strong, competitive economy,” said Baker.
Boston area municipalities and other groups in the area are advocating for new or expanded transportation revenue options including a fuel tax increase and other vehicle fees. Additionally, municipal leaders support increased tolling and allowing a portion of toll revenues to support transit.
The legislature plans to mull these and many other options sometime in the coming week.
Rhode Island’s RhodeWorks is Fixing Bridges
Bridge replacement in Rhode Island is part of Governor Raimondo’s RhodeWorks initiative signed into law in February 2016. The ten-year initiative was designed to accelerate and invest in infrastructure by rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges by means of investing significant additional funding by charging a user fee on ONLY large commercial trucks – not cars or smaller trucks, and taking advantage of the additional funding in the FAST Act, which Congress passed in December 2015.
Rhode Island’s plan is to fix more than 150 structurally deficient bridges and make repairs to another 500 bridges to prevent them from becoming deficient by 2025. With a refocus on efforts to increase public transit, the plan expects to create about 12,000 job-years over the next ten years and save taxpayers about $1 billion in projected future costs.
“Thanks to the RhodeWorks program, we are able to maintain this steady drumbeat of bridge projects to lower the number of structurally deficient bridges in Rhode Island and bring us into compliance with federal minimum bridge deficiency standards by 2025,” RI DOT Director Peter Alviti said.
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST ACT)
In September, CONEG joined AASHTO along with myriad of other organizations in a communications effort to urge Congress to include in any CR a repeal of the rescission of $7.6 billion in Federal-aid highway contract authority scheduled to occur in July of next year. The repeal would result in hard cuts to highway funding and delays in project construction, and would greatly impede the flexibility of state departments of transportation to program dollars.
Repeal of the $7.6 billion FAST Act rescission language was included in the latest CR. On November 19, the House approved the measure by a 231-192 vote. A Senate floor vote is the next step for the legislation. The Senate is expected to act by December 21, when an earlier CR is due to expire. The President would be required to sign the legislation.