The Connecticut legislative session is set to close on Wednesday, but the state hasn’t passed a budget yet. The latest twist in budget negotiations came last week, when Governor Rell issued a supplemental budget that hits transit riders hard.  This is disheartening after her initial effort increased the operating budget for both rail and bus transit in FY10 and FY11.

Unfortunately, the Governor’s updated version balances Connecticut’s budget deficit on the backs of transit riders, proposing a 40% fare increase on CT Transit riders and a 10% increase on Metro-North riders.  In real money this amounts to an increase of 50 cents per bus ride and as much as $3.70 more for a peak round-trip ticket from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal, raising the price for a day’s travel to $40.70.  CT Transit’s Dial-A-Ride program would see a 40% fare increase as well.

The budget’s release prompted a response from transportation, business, and civic groups including TSTC; metropolitan planning organizations; and transit agencies. In a letter released today, fourteen groups called on elected officials to oppose the 40% bus fare increase.

The governor’s press release describes the budget as a “no-tax” budget. But as the Transit for Connecticut letter points out, these fare increases amount to a regressive tax that “disproportionately burdens the citizens who can least afford it” and “negatively impacts the state’s efforts to encourage residents to use mass transit in order to alleviate congestion on our roads, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Governor Rell also proposes to eliminate the Town Aid for Roads program, an important funding stream that helps towns and municipalities keep their roadway system in a state of good repair.

Advocates will continue to oppose these fare hikes, and we hope constituents will be contacting their state legislators as well.