Like the other states in the region, Connecticut contended with a difficult budget that took up much of the political agenda in 2009. However, the year saw meaningful transportation reform from both ConnDOT and the state legislature, including a complete streets law, the deferral of highway expansions, and progress on transit projects.
Contending With the Stimulus
Connecticut at first appeared to be caught flat-footed by the federal stimulus. The state did not release a draft list of transportation projects until February, but allocated the money relatively quickly and on needed repair and maintenance instead of road expansion. Connecticut also did a good job taking advantage of high-speed rail funds. As advocates suggested, it sought to use the funds for the New Haven-Springfield rail line as part of a coordinated effort by New England states.
Complete Streets is Highlight of Legislative Session
Tri-State and other groups advocated for a complete streets law throughout the first half of the year, organizing legislative luncheons and press events in Hartford. These efforts paid off when the General Assembly passed a complete streets law in June. The law, which was signed by Gov. Rell in July, requires projects to accommodate all road users, dedicates at least 1% of transportation funds to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and creates a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. Advocates also pushed for congestion pricing on the state’s highways, but legislators instead directed ConnDOT to further study adding tolls at state borders.
Marie Starts Culture Change at ConnDOT
ConnDOT Commissioner Joseph Marie put his stamp on ConnDOT this year, putting real momentum behind the New Haven-Springfield Line and Hartford-New Britain Busway. These efforts paid off in May when the Federal Transit Administration awarded a favorable rating to the Busway that puts it back in the running for federal funds. Gov. Rell and Marie announced in July that expanded Shore Line East rail service would finally be extended to New London by the end of 2009, though the extension has been postponed by a few months.
Marie has also proved a wise financial steward, citing cost while deferring wasteful road expansion projects like Route 11 and I-84.
Budget and Political Friction
Much of the second half of the year was consumed by a protracted debate between Gov. Rell and the legislature over the state’s 2010-11 budget. Although Gov. Rell originally proposed a budget that increased transit operating funds, she then released a second budget in June that included a 40% fare increase on bus riders and a 10% fare hike on Metro-North. Advocates and legislators strongly criticized the fare increases over the summer, and fare hikes were canceled in October.
Sniping between state elected officials even threatened to hold up the state’s transit projects. Politicking between the governor and legislative leaders delayed the release of state money for the New Haven-Springfield Line. Some state legislators came out against the Hartford-New Britain Busway, arguing for a rail alternative that preliminary ConnDOT estimates suggest would be far costlier. In response, TSTC and others hosted a symposium explaining that the busway is necessary, along with rail, as part of the overall transit network the state needs to meet suburban demand.
In November, Gov. Rell announced she would not run for re-election in 2010; one consequence of that is a wide field of candidates in both parties, though only a few of them have specific transportation proposals so far.
A Strong Foundation for Reform
A lot of good transportation news came out of Connecticut this year: Complete streets legislation was passed, transit riders were spared large fare hikes, and the state made progress on transit projects. With this strong foundation, the last year of the Rell administration could be its best when it comes to transportation — as long as political infighting doesn’t get in the way.
One area where the state should do more is connecting land use and transportation. An easy first step would be to release money for transit-oriented development grants that were included in a 2007 bonding bill. Advocates have attempted to fill the gap, with TSTC and the One Region Funders’ Group awarding a transit-oriented development grant to Stratford in March. But it would obviously be more appropriate for the state to take the lead in working with towns to promote smart growth approaches that reduce congestion at a lower cost than road widening.
Gov. Rell closed out the year at a press conference for one of her legacy projects, receiving the first of the new M-8 Metro-North cars paid for by a $1.3 billion transportation investment plan Rell pushed for in 2005 (see MTR # 505). If Marie can ensure that deemphasizing road expansion while prioritizing transit, cycling, and walking is established as a core principle at ConnDOT, and can get the department to finally deliver on the Hartford-New Britain Busway and New Haven-Springfield Rail Line, both Marie and Rell will be able to point to ConnDOT’s turnaround as their legacy.
Correction: ConnDOT *NEVER* presented estimates showing that rail would be costlier than the busway. The only “estimate” was an off-the-cuff quote by Marie than Waterbury-Hartford rail would cost $1 billion.
This estimate was based on a mistaken assumption that the whole line would be double-tracked, meaning new tunnels and interstate bridges, among other things, and was not based on any cost analysis but merely plucked out of thin air.
Frankly, I can’t see why TSTC is so obsessed with the busway. It’s a 9.5 mile, dead-end stub line between two rundown cities with bus systems that have seen huge drops in ridership as a mode share in the last ten years. It doesn’t connect to wealthier areas, nor does it provide interregional connections, something a small state like CT desperately needs. The busway won’t change the fact that it takes over SIX hours to get from Waterbury to Hartford via bus.
Before you repeat the mantra that “the busway is cheaper,” don’t forget that the only reason the busway was selected was because it was the most cost-effective alternative, at $80 million. Today, it’s $579 million. With costs like that, maybe it’s time to redo the cost-benefit analysis.
[…] The TSTC report finds that over 60% of pedestrian fatalities in the tri-state area took place on “arterial” roads characterized by fast-moving traffic and few pedestrian amenities. Earlier analysis of federal data by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership has shown that most pedestrians are killed where no crosswalks can be conveniently accessed. ConnDOT Commissioner Joe Marie should make it clear that his department has a basic responsibility to make travel safe for all road users — especially given the citizen mandate for safer streets embodied by the state’s new complete streets law. […]
[…] a special look out and anticipate where non-motorized users might be. This bill complements the Complete Streets Law … and will promote safer streets that encourage people to walk, exercise and use mass […]
[…] who was the first ConnDOT chief with a transit background, started the culture change at ConnDOT with public comments on the need to connect land use with […]