Fare hikes, rail service
cuts and a freeze on transportation projects.
As he promised in December, Governor Malloy announced them all last
week. Rail commuters and highway drivers
are justifiably outraged, but they should direct their anger not at the Governor
or CDOT but at the legislature.
WHY NOW? This funding crisis has been years
in the making, exacerbated 20 years ago when lawmakers’ political pandering saw
them lower the gasoline tax. Coupled
with better gas mileage and increased use of electric cars, the Special
Transportation Fund (STF) which pays for our roads and rails has been running out of money. By next year it will be in deficit.
RAIDS ON THE STF: His critics are quick to blame Malloy,
correctly noting that he raided the STF for money to balance the state’s
budget. But so did Governors Rell and
Rowland. Blaming their past mistakes
doesn’t answer the question of what we do now.
FARE HIKES: Metro-North riders already pay the
highest commuter rail fares in the US.
The proposed 10% hike in July, while unpopular, will be absorbed by
commuters who have no real choice in how to get to their jobs in NYC… assuming
they don’t move.
PUBLIC HEARINGS: Required by law 90 days before they go
into effect, the public hearings on fare hikes will be cathartic but
meaningless. Think of them as political theater. The CDOT will present the numbers, explain
why the STF is running out of money and sit patiently as commuters yell and
scream. Then they will do what they
must: raise fares.
RAIL SERVICE CUTS: Why is Malloy cutting off-peak weekday and
all weekend service on the New Canaan, Danbury, Waterbury and Shore Line East
lines? Because, unlike the mainline,
these lines are subsidized 100% by Connecticut, have lower ridership and are
much more expensive to operate.
ECONOMIC IMPACT: While higher fares are never popular,
cuts in train service can be economically devastating. Without daily trains, houses in communities
like Wilton and Redding will be less desirable.
Property values will decrease, affecting local taxes. Transit oriented development dreams for
communities in the Naugatuck Valley will be dashed.
FUTURE PROJECTS: Not only is the Governor threatening fare
hikes and service cuts, he’s freezing $4.3 billion worth of transportation projects across the state.
Forget about the new Stamford rail garage, Route 8 – I-84 “mixmaster” in
Waterbury, the Barnum rail station in east Bridgeport, and hundreds of other
projects. There may even be a 15% staff
cut at CDOT. That means months or years
of delays on these projects if and when money is ever found, making our state
even less desirable for new business investment.
ROAD MAINTENANCE: These cuts may even affect CDOT’s ability to
plow our roads in the next blizzard, let alone fix the potholes and our aging
bridges.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?: It
will be up the legislature to finally address STF funding. None of the alternatives will be popular,
especially in an election year. But I’d
expect tolls, taxes, and yes, fare hikes… all predicated on passage of a true
STF “lock box” in November’s referendum.
If you’re as angry as I am,
do something. Call
your state representative and senator
and demand that they vote on new funding sources for the STF to stop these
service cuts and project delays. They
created this problem. Now they’ll have
to solve it.
Posted with permission of Hearst CT Media
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