As a way to jump-start the state’s economy, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a $626 million bipartisan jobs bill last month. Included in the jobs bill were some important transportation and land use investments, as well as reforms to the State Traffic Commission (STC), an obscure state board that has a significant role in Connecticut’s quality of life.

Coming on the heels of the recent release of a national report highlighting deficient bridges, it was heartening to see the legislation include $50 million for bridge repair. Tri-State’s analysis of Connecticut’s 2010-2013 transportation capital program, found that nearly 33% of the state’s bridges are considered deficient, making this $50 million allocation a welcome addition.

The jobs bill also included $20 million for developers and businesses to tap into as a way to redevelop the state’s brownfields. Considering the state has 281 brownfields totaling nearly 2,600 acres, it’s important to ensure that this money be targeted to communities that are developing, or are willing to develop, in a more smart-growth or transit-oriented manner.

The bill also includes reforms to the State Traffic Commission that should speed up the permitting process (the Commission must issue a certificate of operation for any development next to a state road that is greater than 100,000 square feet or includes at least 200 parking spaces). Unfortunately, these reforms will do little to change the 1950’s era assumptions that lead to overestimates of traffic impacts caused by development projects. As Tri-State board member Norman Garrick highlighted in a 2010 op-ed about Mansfield Road in Storrs, the Commission failed to adequately consider different types of development in its traffic-generating models. By not doing so, the STC ends up recommending wider roads to deal with new development as opposed to pedestrian, cycling or transit improvements as solutions to mitigate congestion.  Similar considerations (driven by ConnDOT) are causing challenges in the Route 34 highway-to-boulevard project in New Haven.

Photo: EPA.