State must build on transit agreements
Though the debate over a transportation plan is seemingly characterized by disagreements — mainly centering on how to pay for it — there is significant consensus from both sides of the aisle on the proposal itself. As they work toward a compromise on financing, Democrats and Republicans need to build on that consensus to bring some commonsense solutions to longstanding transit issues.
That’s not limited to what’s in Gov. Ned Lamont’s CT2030, which arguably focuses too heavily on highways at the expense of mass transit. The governor and lawmakers should look beyond the current proposal and take steps to ensure future cooperation, and to make sure Connecticut has a say in transportation issues that are vital to the state’s economic future.
For example, Sen. Len Fasano, the Republican leader in the Senate, brought up recently the idea of reintroducing the state’s Transportation Strategy Board. This was a longstanding review panel that provided oversight to transit projects that was eliminated early in the former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s tenure.
“The Transportation Strategy Board was created at the time because it was essentially felt the DOT was not doing an adequate job with planning,” Ben Barnes, then head of Malloy’s Office of Policy & Management, said in 2011. “We believe planning is the responsibility of the DOT and intend to have them do it.”
In the neardecade since, the transportation crisis in Connecticut has only grown more severe. It’s always dicey to recommend another layer of bureaucracy, but in this case, the board’s reintroduction is warranted. There are real questions as to the DOT’s spending and priorities, as CT2030 makes clear, and a renewed Transportation Strategy Board would help ensure that all potential projects are properly weighed before work begins.
Another longstanding issue is outside the power of Connecticut to make happen, but something leaders need to demand anyway. The state has long lacked sway regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, despite the symbiotic relationship between New York and Connecticut regarding MetroNorth railroad. Connecticut can only do so much to improve service when it relies so heavily on New York to carry the trains into Manhattan, while New York depends on thousands of Connecticut residents making daily trips into the city to support its economy.
Connecticut needs a seat on the board of directors of the MTA, which runs MetroNorth in New York state. Better rail transit into Manhattan is critical to both states’ economies, and Connecticut must ensure its needs are met.
Gov. Ned Lamont has a better relationship with longtime New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo than Malloy ever did, but that’s not enough. He should leverage that relationship into an assurance that Connecticut will have its interests looked after.
There are many transportation discussions to be had in Hartford, mostly focused on raising funds. But there is also plenty of agreement to build on. The next steps should be a reintroduction of the Transportation Strategy Board to ensure DOT oversight, and a concerted push to get Connecticut a seat on the MTA board of directors.
The governor and lawmakers should look beyond the current proposal and take steps to ensure future cooperation, and to make sure Connecticut has a say in transportation issues vital to our economic future.