.
Feedback

Fiscal Woes Resurrect Talk of Tolls in CT

Transportation officials met this week to discuss the dismal state of funding for transportation issues and how that can be rectified.

While the federal government teeters on the edge of a so-called fiscal cliff, the State of Connecticut stands amidst its own growing financial woes.

That, along with that fact that state highway trust funds are fast running dry, has transportation officials scrambling to find ways to avoid what could be a disaster, the Connecticut Mirror reports.

There are several major transportation projects on the table that lack the necessary funding, and with the financial conditions the way they are on both the state and federal levels, there are no easy answers where that money will come.

One answer officials are considering is bringing back tolls.

A devastating 1983 crash in Stratford on I-95 that killed seven people was the death knell for tolls in Connecticut, but the blistering recession, combined with a reliance on gas taxes that has caused gas prices to skyrocket, has put tolls once again on the table as an option.

Earlier this year, legislators brought up the possibility of bringing back the tolls. While it passed the state Senate, the House was not as supportive and the bill quickly died.

The most recent suggestion coming out of this week's forum has quickly drawn a reaction from residents around Connecticut. One Trumbull Patch reader was quick to come out against it.

What do you think? Is it time to bring back the tolls?

Rich December 13, 2012 at 12:09 am
There is plenty of money from gas taxes and other fees to fix the roads they are used else where.Ella grasso took the money and balanced the budget and the bridges fell down.

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Shelton Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Thomas Paine June 18, 2013 at 01:47 pm
Why is it the panel for this event does not include a single advocate for gun-owners' rights? WithRead More all due respect to Chief McNamara, why does the panel no include a person who can speak to gun safety from a gun-owning civilian's perspective? ML, you claim that the assembled folks "do not offer judgements about gun ownership" but they are not including a single voice that can offer perspective on gun ownership. I have been to "education" sessions sponsored by Meg's March for Change and they are one-sided indoctrinations into gun control advocacy. >>>> I was in Hartford for the public hearings in January when both Meg and March co-founder Nancy gave their personal testimonies and they all but threatened the legislators on the panel with election day retribution for all those who did not tow the gun-control line of thinking (i.e. March and CAGV). To suggest that Meg "does not offer judgements" is fallacious and disingenuous.