The state Department of Transportation has released a study on what highway tolls in Connecticut would look like. I have attached a copy of the study for anyone interested in reading it. The plan calls for tolls on all limited access highways in Connecticut. In brief, the idea is to toll motorists for the length of their commute, essentially a mileage tax. The tolls would be congestion priced, that is, the price would be higher during rush hour. The cost to residents will vary. Tolls along this model will cost CT residents who drive to work every day hundreds to thousands of dollars every year depending on the length of their commutes. The plan released by DOT estimates tolls would raise nearly a billion dollars in revenue yearly for the state.
Given the new make-up of the legislature, it seems tolls will be coming in some form to Connecticut. During the campaign, Governor-elect Lamont pledged to toll only out-of-state trucks, based on the model enacted in Rhode Island. However, this may not be legal, and the American Trucking Associations has filed a federal lawsuit against Rhode Island to stop it.
As the session approaches and progresses I will continue to update you on the progress of this and other issues.
