After indicating that a vote on bringing electronic tolls back to Connecticut’s highways could take place on Wednesday, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, announced he was suspending that effort in the face of a lack of affirmative votes for the measure.
Aresimowicz said he still hoped to bring the bill up before the regular session ends on May 9, but seemed resigned to the fact that tolls would have to wait until next year.
The bill would have required the Department of Transportation to develop a detailed plan for legislative consideration next year, as well as a second affirmative vote in the General Assembly at a future date before the tolls would have been implemented. The plan called for tolls on Interstates 84, 91 and 95 and the Wilbur Cross and Merritt Parkways and allows for additional tolls on other limited access highways.
According to Aresimowicz, the bill would have established a base rate of 11.8 cents per mile during peak periods and 9.4 cents off-peak. Motorists whose license plates are registered with the Connecticut tolling system would have paid rates of 9.9 cents during peak periods and 7.9 cents off peak.
In addition, residents purchasing a CT EZPass would have received a 30 percent discount, reducing their rates to 5.5 cents on-peak and 4.4 cents off-peak. Another version of the EZPass would have featured a commuter rate bringing the cost down to 4.4 cents on-peak and 3.5 cents off-peak.
Republican legislators have almost unanimously opposed bringing tolls back to the state.
