Is Connecticut ready for tolls?

There is no question that Connecticut needs to find new revenue streams for the transportation budget when the annual cost just to maintain our roads and bridges is about $485 million and it is estimated that there is a total of almost $3 billion in infrastructure needs. 

Installing tolls in Connecticut has to be considered.  But today’s tolls are very different from the ones taken down in the mid 1980’s.  They are electronic and don’t require motorists to slow down or stop, to pay.  One caveat, toll revenue must be directed entirely to the transportation budget and the priorities for ConnDOT must be on “fix it first” to repair/maintain and not expansion of our roads/bridges and improving our public transit options. Co-chair of the transportation committee, Representative Tony Guerrera D-Rocky Hill will be introducing legislation to kick off the debate about tolls in CT.

Read Rep. Guerrera’s comments in today’s Hartford courant article about tolls:http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-highway-tolls-0119-20110118,0,5638342.story