December 6, 2019

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff
Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano
Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides

Dear leaders:

We agree urgent action is required to move our infrastructure and the State of Connecticut forward, and that every dollar we invest in our infrastructure is a dollar we invest in our future.

Enclosed with this letter is a financial pro forma that honestly and comprehensively details how we can afford those transformational investments without burdening Connecticut’s taxpayers or jeopardizing their ability to weather the next economic recession. That pro forma moves Connecticut away from its old reliance on in-state taxes, fees, and expensive debt. Instead, it balances the Special Transportation Fund for more than a decade by leveraging out-of-state funding, historically low-cost federal financing opportunities, leverages cash financing, and more efficient Department of Transportation processes to dramatically reduce the cost of infrastructure projects to Connecticut taxpayers.

As part of this plan, I am asking the legislature to act on our consensus proposal to follow Rhode Island in implementing commercial truck tolls on 12 bridges meeting strict federal criteria. I am confident that the legal arguments for truck tolls will prevail, providing Connecticut with the much needed revenue to make the right investments in our state’s future. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a single five-axle tractor-trailer does the same damage to our highways as 9,600 passenger cars. Increasing the contributions those tractor-trailers and trucks like them make to our Special Transportation Fund will allow Connecticut to implement a multi-modal vision for our transportation future that reduces the congestion plaguing everyday commuters as well as the trucking industry.

Action on this consensus proposal will allow Connecticut to invest at least $19.4 billion in our infrastructure with more to come if the Budget Reserve Fund exceeds the responsible, bipartisan threshold of 15 percent. With that investment, we will be able to replicate the success of recent enhancement projects, like the improvements to I-84 in Waterbury that reduce rush-hour commutes by 26 minutes and monthly car crashes by more than 90 percent or the opening of the Hartford Line that provides thousands of residents every day with a relaxed, reliable, and sustainable alternative to I-91, across the state. Although the consensus proposal cannot fully realize the CT2030 vision I put forward last month, I am confident that my administration will be able to work with you and with our constituents to prioritize the appropriate projects from that vision and to double down on our commitment to a transportation plan that works for Connecticut’s working families, including those who bus, bike, or walk to work and around their neighborhoods. Projects like those to remove stop lights from Route 9 in Middletown, replace century-old bridges along the MetroNorth tracks, and redesign bus service in and between our cities will spur growth and save time--giving all Connecticut residents what they deserve: more time with their families, less time on the road or tracks, and ready access to good jobs in a growing economy.

As I wrote earlier this week, I believe our constituents deserve action on this proposal in short order. I know you share the same sense of urgency, and I appreciate the public statements many of you made to that effect. I remain committed to prioritize myself and my administration to see this through and look forward to working in continuous collaboration with each of you.

Thank you,

Governor Ned Lamont