Tolling on the Agenda for Connecticut

A proposal by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) would fund transportation infrastructure improvements with new electronic tolls on several of the state's busiest highways.

Keith Phaneuf reports:

With less than four weeks left in the legislative session, Gov. Ned Lamont made a bipartisan appeal for compromise on tolls. The Democratic governor pledged to dedicate more resources to transportation construction between now and 2024 — the first year toll receipts might be available.

More specifically:

The governor wants to put electronic tolls on interstates 84, 91 and 95 and on the Merritt Parkway with a base charge of 4.4 cents per mile — before discounts are offered to Connecticut motorists. This would raise $800 million per year for the budget by 2024, the administration says, with 30 to 40 percent coming from out-of-state motorists. Discounts would be provided to Connecticut residents and to frequent travelers.

Phaneuf provides more details of the political process that yielded the most recent deal, as does a separate article by Phaneuf published last week for a different publication. A previous article by Rachel Yonkunas and Kaitlyn Naples focuses on the governor's plan to improve the state's transportation infrastructure.

A hat tip to Angie Schmitt for sharing the Phaneuf article and providing perspective on the national significance of the proposal. Planetizen correspondent Irvin Dawid shared news of the Connecticut tolling debate back in February 2019.