Stamford Mayor Issues Statement On Lamont's Tolls Plan

STAMFORD, CT — Earlier this week, Governor Ned Lamont's administration announced the details of the state's comprehensive $21 billion CT2030 transportation infrastructure plan, a ten-year vision that includes upgrades to highways, trains and airports. The funding would come from tolls on 14 bridges, low-interest federal loans and other sources.

In response, Stamford Mayor David Martin has released the following statement:

"Like many residents in Stamford, I don't like paying tolls, but I applaud the governor's courageous commitment to fixing our transportation infrastructure while being financially responsible," Martin said in a statement. "We all have to face the tough choices and cannot keep kicking the can down the road."

See also: Tolls Update: Millions Could Be Heading To These CT Towns

The state launched a CT 2030 website Thursday that provides an explanation of the proposed projects, costs and funding.

Lamont is proposing that tolling start in 2023 with 40 percent of the costs being shouldered by out-of-state drivers. The base rates would be 50 cents to a dollar for cars, $1.25 to $2.50 for mid-sized trucks and $3.50 to $7 for heavy trucks. The base rate is what an out-of-state driver with an EZ-Pass would pay. Connecticut EZ-Pass users would get 20 percent off those prices.

Anyone with an EZ-Pass wouldn't pay more than one round-trip user fee per gantry.

Collected toll money would go to pay for the costs of improvements on specific projects and five percent of collected toll money would go to the hosting municipality and would be earmarked for infrastructure improvements.

Read more about the plan here.