Tolls Update: Lamont, Senate Dems Have ‘Very Frank Conversation’

HARTFORD, CT — Senate Democrats were less than enthusiastic about Gov. Ned Lamont’s $21 billion CT 2030 transportation infrastructure plan that calls for tolls at 14 spots throughout the state.

Lamont met with the caucus Wednesday to go over his plan and hear questions and concerns from the caucus. Senate President Martin Looney said that there was broad support for Lamont’s proposed transportation fixes, but disagreement on how to pay for them.

“We need to find something that is broadly palatable in the General Assembly and also to the public,” Looney said.

The caucus didn’t take a headcount on support for Lamont’s plan. Looney said Lamont was going to reflect on what he heard in the caucus meeting.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said everyone acknowledges that it’s vitally important to upgrade Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure. He said Lamont carefully listened to concerns from legislators.

“How we get there and how we pay for it is certainly a different story,” Duff said. “But it was a very frank conversation with the governor.”

Lamont campaigned on truck-only tolling, but said after being elected it wouldn’t create enough revenue for the state and could run into some legal challenges from the trucking industry. Lamont rolled out a 50-toll gantry plan that took up part of the 2019 legislative session, but in the end never got a full vote. Any toll vote would likely become a hot-button issue in the 2020 election where state representatives and senators are up for re-election.

Related: Tolls Update: Millions Could Be Heading To These CT Towns

Lamont is proposing that tolling start in 2023 with 40 percent of toll revenue 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.

The governor is aiming to secure low-interest federal transportation loans and the plan would use toll revenue to make payments. The loans require a stable and steady revenue source from the states that get them.

Democratic members of the Senate are hoping to vote on a transportation infrastructure package before the start of the regular 2020 session in February. Looney said that there are other issues to tackle, including some state budget adjustments and that transportation could cast a cloud over the entire session.

Legalizing recreational marijuana and coming up with a solution to sports betting could be used as part of the package to pay for Lamont’s proposed fixes, but it wouldn’t pay for them all, Looney said.

Legislative Republicans have been steadfast in their opposition to tolls. House Republican Leader Themis Klarides said that there is common ground in Lamont’s latest plan and it was more well-thought than previous iterations, but tolls are still a non-starter.