While MTR gave a preliminary overview of transportation related bills earlier this month, last Friday was a big day in the Connecticut General Assembly, with many of the same transportation and development bills moving out of their initial committees — including a scaled-back vulnerable users bill, statewide tolling study legislation, a constitutional amendment to protect transportation spending, and a government restructuring bill that could curb the independence of the state’s Metro-North Rail Commuter Council.

Traffic Safety

Protecting vulnerable road users: In a victory for safety advocates, the Transportation Committee reported out the vulnerable user bill (SB191), introduced by State Senator Beth Bye, that would enhance penalties for careless drivers who injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists, highway workers and other vulnerable users of the road. However, while the original bill required that someone who drives carelessly and kills or seriously injures a vulnerable user perform community service and attend a driver’s retraining course as well as potentially pay a fine of up to $1,000, the version passed by the committee includes only the fine.

Vulnerable user laws in other states such as Oregon, Washington, and Delaware include community service and retraining requirements to ensure that drivers are held accountable for crashes that involve the serious injury or death of a vulnerable road user. Moreover, these provisions help ensure that drivers operate their vehicles safely in the future. The broad coalition of advocates which supports the bill is working with legislators to strengthen the bill. Supporters include Tri-State, AARP, the Sierra Club, CT League of Conservation Voters, Bike Walk Connecticut, Connecticut Horse Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Regional Plan Association and more.

Despite strong support, a bill to authorize red-light cameras was not moved forward, and will apparently die in committee. Earlier this month, the Hartford Courant editorial board argued that the State should at least allow a pilot program in New Haven, where support for the cameras is strongest. Advocates also seem to have stopped bills that would have made it illegal for cyclists to ride two abreast.

Funding

Tolls: Earlier in the session, the Transportation Committee debated multiple bills to authorize tolls in some form, and also held an informational hearing featuring the consultant working on ConnDOT’s value pricing studies for I-95 and I-84. Rather than authorizing tolls, the committee advanced a bill (HB6051) calling for ConnDOT to study a statewide tolling system, the agency’s ability to protect toll revenues from being siphoned off for other purposes, and whether toll revenue could be used to reduce the state gas tax.

Route 11: The committee also advanced a bill allowing (but not requiring) ConnDOT to use tolls to build an extension of the Route 11 highway in southeastern Connecticut and remove the tolls upon paying off the state’s bond obligations for the project. ConnDOT has previously said the project could cost up to $1.4 billion, and that tolls will likely be insufficient to cover the cost. In addition, the provision to remove the tolls after paying off bond obligations fails to recognize ongoing maintenance and repair costs associated with road and bridge infrastructure. A similar bill failed to pass the General Assembly last session.

Lockbox: As a poll from Quinnipiac found last week, distrust in government’s ability to use transportation revenues for transportation projects is the likely reason why tolls are so unpopular. Tolls are opposed by a large majority of the population, but this opposition flips to nearly 60 percent support if voters are assured that the money will go to repairing the state’s road and bridge infrastructure. The Transportation Committee has reported out a bill (HB6039) to lockbox the Special Transportation Fund (STF). For good measure, the committee also passed a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment protecting the STF.  If passed by the General Assembly, the resolution would be the first step in Connecticut’s multi-year amendment process.

Paratransit: The Transportation Committee advanced a bill to boost funding for paratransit by $5 million. Gov. Malloy’s budget would cut paratransit not required by the Americans for Disabilities Act.

Oversight

Commuter Council: Tucked inside a multi-page “government restructuring” bill (HB6363) passed by the Government Administration and Elections Committee on Friday, is a provision to gut the existing Council. The bill would extend the council’s mission so it would represent rail riders statewide, but it would also mandate that the council chair be appointed by the governor instead of being elected by the council’s members. It would also end the council’s ability to “request and … receive” information from State agencies; instead, the council’s mission would be to “work with the Department of Transportation to advocate for customers of all commuter lines in the state.”

Development

No bills with major implications for development or smart growth have been reported out of the legislature’s Planning and Development Committee yet.  There’s been no action on either of the bills MTR highlighted earlier this month — a smart growth bill introduced by Senate President Don Williams (SB2) and an in-lieu sidewalk fee bill from Rep. Jason Perillo (HB5966). Both bills face a March 27 deadline for committee action.