League of Women Voters of Connecticut support for RB 1353 and HB 7093
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TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING March 9, 2007
League of Women Voters of Connecticut support for RB 1353 and HB 7093
At the January 31 public hearing of the Transportation Committee, the League of Women Voters of Connecticut supported several bills proposing to study the re-introduction of tolls on Connecticut’s highways as part of a broad financing plan and as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce congestion. Our support is based on the firm belief that the state can no longer ignore this potential source of revenue and the use of this potent incentive to influence highway users to turn to alternative modes of transportation. Thus, we support RB 1353, AAC Appropriating Funds to Conduct a Study on Implementing Congestions Pricing which lays a road map for the congestion pricing study by defining the parameters of the study, establishing an advisory committee, setting a deadline for completion of the project and allocating funds to carry it out. We believe such a study is needed to reduce traffic congestion along state highways, reduce increasing grid lock, improve air quality and generate revenue to help finance the improvements to mass transit.
The League has also expressed its support, with reservations, for bills extending weigh station hours at previous Transportation Committee public hearings. We support HB 7093, AAC Weigh Station Operations, as it lays out in a more precise language the specific operations changes at the various weigh stations around the state. We especially support the requirement that all weigh stations be under the supervision of a single department, the Department of Motor Vehicles as it will result in more efficiency and better oversight.
We believe that the bill needs to clearly define what is meant by the “hours of operation” of the weigh stations. For the past twelve months, we have observed the Greenwich weigh station. As long as there is staff on premises, doing clerical or other work, the station is deemed “open” although the electronic sign flashes “closed” and no vehicles are going through the facility. Unless the legislation specifically states the number of shifts in which the facilities are to be open to actually weigh and otherwise inspect trucks for safety law compliance, the goal of the bill, i.e. ensuring safety on Connecticut’s highways will not be met.
Thank you for this opportunity to provide input.
Jara Burnett Transportation Specialist |
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