Tolls eyed for major bridges
Governor’s longdelayed plan to be officially rolled out; includes Rochambeau span on I84 in Newtown
The 10year, $21 billion tolling and transportation infrastructure plan that Gov. Ned Lamont has spent most of the year proposing and refining, includes tolls on a variety of bridges in the western half of the state, including the Rochambeau span over the Housatonic River on Interstate 84 in Newtown and the I95 bridge over the Saugatuck River.
While he’s been rolling it out in recent days to lawmakers at the state Capitol, the governor has left local officials underinformed.
Newtown First Selectman Daniel Rosenthal on Wednesday said he had not yet been briefed on the latest iteration of Lamont’s transportationinfrastructure plan, but said in an interview Wednesday that he’s generally opposed to tolling because of its potential effect on local traffic from tolldodging motorists.
“At first blush, it’s a horrible idea,” said Rosenthal, a Democrat who was reelected Tuesday with no opposition. “This whole toll thing is convoluted. I just have a hard time with having a whole lot of faith in the execution, frankly. Hearing about this in bits and pieces is unhelpful.”
The 14 bridges include spans along Route 8 south of I84 over the Naugatuck River. Another bridge toll would be located along the Merritt Parkway in Norwalk near the Route 7 intersection. Another would be located in Greenwich along I384. Revenue generated by tolls at the sites
would be used to help improve the bridges.
Another toll would be in Stamford around where the MetroNorth Commuter Railroad runs under I95. Toll costs would range between 50 cents and a dollar with discounts of 20 percent for those with EZ Pass transponders. Trucks would pay up to $7 in the newest version of the tolling plan that Lamont tried — and failed — to persuade lawmakers to accept this year.
Another bridge toll would be in West Haven along I95.
Requests for comment made to West Haven Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, Stamford Mayor David Martin and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, all Democrats, were not immediately returned on Wednesday.
Westport First Selectman Jim Marpee said he has had no contact with Lamont. “I’m not in a position to comment,” he said.
But state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, DWestport, a member of the Transportation Committee, said after a twohour briefing in the Capitol that the tolls are part of a comprehensive transportation initiation, with multiple funding sources including the federal government that will generate the kind of revenue needed to fix the centuryold Saugatuck River railroad bridge in his hometown.
“I just saw the presentation,” Steinberg said. “It’s really well thought through and I am going to support it.” He said the planned overhead toll gantries would be on the Norwalk side of the border.
“Tolls are a component of a muchbroader plan to generate revenue that has to be done,” Steinberg said. “It’s a very limited thing. I have been consistently in favor of tolls because of the urgency of addressing the transportation crisis, and I’m encouraged that this is the solution we’ve been waiting for. It’s a plan worthy of real consideration and scrutiny and it purports to solve our urgent transportation needs, while creating jobs.
While running for governor in 2018, Lamont offered a trucksonly toll program, such as the highway tolls in Rhode Island. But upon taking office, Lamont conceded Connecticut needs a lot more revenue, and stressed the potential for outofstate traffic to pay tolls here for the first time since the 1980s, when the former toll system ended amid complaints about fatal collisions and air pollution.
Since then the technology has changed massively and traffic can maintain highway speeds and accumulate toll fees through their windshield transponders.
During his first legislative session this year, Lamont met skepticism from majority Democrats and stiff opposition from Republicans. But his administration kept retooling the proposal, it’s various goals and financial bottom lines. There had been plans for 50 toll sites or more throughout the state.
“Upgrading our aging transportation infrastructure is critical to our future economy and a top priority of our business community, yet consensus on the best way to pay for it has been elusive,” said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, DBerlin, after the Wednesday briefing.
“The governor deserves credit for keeping transportation on the front burner, and working with the Trump administration to come up with a plan that leverages cheaper federal dollars with limited project specific bridge user fees to help offset the new debt,” Aresimowicz said. “We can reduce our long term borrowing costs while still capturing significant fees from outofstate drivers, so I think it is a plan that puts us on the right track going forward and is worth pursuing.”
Senate majority Democrats are scheduled to be briefed Thursday on the plan.
State Sen. Carlo Leone, DStamford, cochairman of the Transportation Committee, said Wednesday he had not yet seen the current version of the governor’s proposal, stressing that he’s hoping for Republican backing.
“The big question will be whether there’s support from bipartisan perspective,” Leone said. “That’s where everyone wants it to be: to have some kind of bipartisanship. If not, then we’re back to square one.”
Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, RNorth Haven, said Wednesday that after talking with Lamont last week, the overall transportationimprovement proposal seems “thoughtful” and the financial projections solid.
“I think the tolls is a very big problem,” Fasano said. But with less revenue, he questions the longterm viability of Lamont’s construction initiatives, including largescale railroad and highway improvements.