Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has laid out an expansive vision for a smart growth and transit-oriented future. His recently announced support for extending the Route 11 highway, at a cost of up to $1.4 billion, goes directly against it.
This project, an 8.5 mile extension from Salem to the I-95 interchange, has also garnered the support of the Connecticut House of Representatives, which passed a bill to direct ConnDOT to study the feasibility of using tolls to finance the project. With the legislative session wrapping up tonight, it remains to be seen if the State Senate will also support this misguided bill. [Update 6/9: The Senate did not take up the tolling bill.]
Moreover, the Request for Proposals issued by ConnDOT specifically acknowledges that “it is not anticipated that tolling will provide sufficient revenues to finance the full cost of the project.” In other words, it appears that the House just voted to support tolling with no certainty that it would even generate sufficient revenue to fund the project, putting the rest of the financial burden on the backs of Connecticut taxpayers. As former ConnDOT Commissioner Emil Frankel said to the CT Mirror, any money that is spent on Route 11 won’t be available for other priorities, such as road and bridge maintenance.
While tolling existing roads can reduce congestion and generate revenue, the construction of Route 11 will exacerbate sprawl and do nothing to mitigate long term traffic congestion in the corridor. Tri-State’s executive director, Kate Slevin, outlined as much in a recent letter to the editor for the Hartford Courant, calling on Governor Malloy to invest in transit options in the corridor and maintaining and repairing the State’s existing infrastructure as a better way to enhance Connecticut’s economic competitiveness and create jobs.
Image: Google Maps-based illustration (does not show exact project routing).
Hmmm, I see TSTC is suspicuously quiet on the Busway.
Hello, I’m a truck driver who occasionally runs from Western Mass. to New London. When I first saw the unfinished section of Route 11, I was curious. Why are bushes growing up from a seemingly well built bridge?
What I do not understand is why some citizens feel this “sprawl” is such a bad thing? If I was a citizen of Connecticut, I would view any complete and well maintained highway as an achievement. The advance of civilization should be a point of pride for everyone. Some wildernesses were are meant to remain; but look where Route 11 exists. It is surrounded by major metropolitan areas! I am deeply saddened and frustrated by this regression of our civil planning. Wide new highways and roads should be welcomed, not rejected.
[…] a bill that would establish tolls for the extension of Route 11, a project that Tri-State has long opposed. While Tri-State supports tolling in some instances, in this case, the toll revenue would fund […]
As much as I hate urban sprawl and having grown up in Conn and used the Route 85/11, I see this as good option for all those people who have had to commute to Hartford or New London for a job and having to deal with Route 85 in heavy traffic and or bad weather. As to alternative to this I would love to hear of any people might have! There are No Rail lines or bus lanes that could help so what else could be done?
Eastern Connecticut DOT needs to do the following:
widen I-95 to 3 lanes from New Haven to the R.I. state line, this is a nightmare.
Widen Route 2 from Route 11 to I-84 to 3 lanes with the inner lanes used for buses and commuters during rush hours.
As to adding tolls the State should have never removed them in the first place and instead dedicated the money towards the highway system instead of the General Funds. Tolls are better than more Gas TAX!!
Connecticut is loosing MILLIONS of $$ for all those cars and trucks that drive throught the state.
Add tolls on CT, NY, MA and RI lines and share revenue with those states.
[…] Although highway tolls have been banned in Connecticut since the 1980’s, they have made a comeback this legislative session, and in previous sessions, as a way to increase much-needed revenue. Last week the legislature’s transportation committee sidelined a tolling bill that was introduced in January that would have brought tolls to Connecticut’s Interstates, and instead, passed a bill to study the benefits and disadvantages of establishing tolls. The committee also passed a separate bill that would establish electronic tolls to help pay for an extension of Route 11 (which Tri-State opposes). […]
I have driven the route 11 route 85 path to New London for decades wondering why route 11 was stopped and when this badly needed road would be completed. Summer weekends are very congested especially with slower boat trailers. Wintertime however is the most dangerous trip with black ice and snow. Personally I would be happy with atoll on a new road especially a traffic speed EZ Pass lane. We only get what we pay for, and route 85 is hard on even a well maintained vehicle. Alex Peck Glastonbury CT
[…] proposal to extend Route 11 has always been considered bad transportation policy which would lead to environmental degradation, further suburban sprawl and […]
[…] misguided impression that federal environmental regulations have unduly delayed construction on the $1 billion boondoggle. On Monday, Connecticut’s Joint Transportation Committee will debate a bill that would […]