Governor Rell presented her 2008 State of the State address to the General Assembly on Wednesday, focusing on issues ranging from crime reform to economic development. Her biggest transportation proposal was to split ConnDOT into a Department of Highways and a separate Department of Public Transporation, Aviation and Ports.

The Governor also proposed a speed camera pilot program along I-95 in the Old Lyme/East Lyme area. This stretch of road is notoriously dangerous, and was the scene of a fatal accident late last year. She also called for hiring more truck inspectors and increasing weekend shifts at the Greenwich weigh station, a direct result of the terrific advocacy work of Jill Kelly and Carol Leighton, from Connecticut Citizens’ Transportation Lobby, to increase truck safety measures. All are smart ideas.

The Governor also proposed many other changes, mainly taken from her appointed Reform Commission’s recent draft recommendations. Some highlights include:

• Hiring 42 additional inspectors for bridge maintenance.
• A new ‘511’ system to allow the public to have greater access to accurate travel information.
• A new Citizens Response Ombudsman.

While her call to divide ConnDOT into two separate departments is intriguing, Governor Rell should keep in mind that ConnDOT, no matter what its institutional structure, must take a leadership role in connecting transportation and land use to truly address congestion problems in the state. The Governor has highlighted how transit can support responsible growth, but needs to emphasize that ConnDOT or the proposed Department of Highways also must incorporate land use planning into the development and implementation of road projects. “Responsible growth” does not need to be limited to places around transit, and could also occur in existing downtowns and suburban villages that do not have transit stations. What should not happen is the building of new and bigger roads that foster a sprawling development pattern, which has been the modus operandi of the existing Bureau of Engineering and Highway Operations in ConnDOT for years.

Governor Rell also missed an opportunity to build upon momentum for a broad shift away from an expansion and widening mentality to a ‘Fix-it-First’ policy, or the prioritization of transportation dollars to maintaining and repairing existing road and bridge infrastructure. The Campaign hopes to see legislation mandating this policy introduced in the current General Assembly session, and Governor Rell could have highlighted this critical policy in her address.

The pace of transportation reform in Connecticut over the past year has been unprecedented in the state. Governor Rell and some members of the Assembly have proven to be strong transportation reformers and should be lauded for their efforts. The Campaign simply hopes that the broad policy changes omitted from yesterday’s State of the State have not been omitted from the governor’s agenda, especially as the ConnDOT commissioner hiring process moves forward (it is expected to finish by mid-March).