Boucher Vows to Continue Transportation Improvements

Roads, Rails and Revenue

By Toni Boucher

It is clear to anyone who commutes on our highways and rails and crosses our bridges that they have not received the attention they need. A recent White House report declared that Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure is among the nation’s worst.

These are serious inconveniences with a direct and negative impact on our residents’ quality of life. They make our commuting towns less desirable places to live and restrict economic and job growth. Connecticut’s economic health is dependent on our state highway system and public transportation network.

Sadly, much of the neglect to our transportation infrastructure is a result of our states raiding of its own Special Transportation Fund ($100 million so far) to bolster its sagging general revenue fund.

I have fought hard for improvements to our transportation systems, including saving the Danbury-Norwalk Metro North line, adding new cars and locomotives and improving crossings, authoring a rail bill-of-rights, improving parking and lavatory facilities and replacing the leadership of Metro North; I sponsored the successful widening of key sections of Route 7 to ease traffic flow, fought against the reintroduction of highway tolls and advocated for a reduction in our gas tax.

Clearly, much more need to be done and, as ranking member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the needed improvements and for the state to restore those funds it’s taken from the Special Transportation Fund and stop this destructive practice in the future.

Boucher, a Republican incumbent, was elected to represent Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton in the 26th Senatorial District in 2008.