State lawmakers debate state toll prices

State lawmakers on both sides debated Wednesday how much drivers will have to pay if tolls come to Connecticut.

News 12 Staff

Apr 10, 2019, 9:03 PM

Updated 2,013 days ago

Share:

State lawmakers on both sides debated Wednesday how much drivers will have to pay if tolls come to Connecticut.
The new transportation commissioner admitted they do not have a firm price put in place as of yet.
"We're actually working that out and we do have to get approval from the federal government on this," says Transportation Commissioner Joe Giulietti.
Under the preliminary plan, a rush-hour trip from Greenwich to Bridgeport would cost $1.28. In-state commuters could pay half that.
Republicans say they're being asked to approve a plan with no details and no protections for drivers.
"They know, when the real numbers come out and the real hard study is done, this fictitious model they have on the back here is nothing but a cartoon sketch at best," says state Sen. Len Fasano.
"It is a flat-out money grab," says state Rep. Laura Devlin. "No state is tolled at the density that is being proposed for our state."
Right now, there are three very different toll plans on the table. Some don't give lawmakers any say in whether rates would go up in the future.
Gov. Lamont tried to reassure worried drivers Wednesday, saying he is open to locking-in toll rates.
"We have a middle class that's gotten slammed over a generation now, and they're paying a lot of money and they feel like folks are falling behind," Gov. Lamont says. "I won't raise it more, period."