[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Not sure what you’re going on about. CT is part of a region that has been the largest economic driver in the US almost since the founding of the country. For at least decades if not centuries, CT has been one of the largest per capita net tax revenue versus federal expenditure states in the union. Local state taxes partially did quite a bit in offsetting this differential of expenditure and that’s an issue now. It’s reasonable for the feds to take infrastructure more easily as a whole across the country, and economically advisable to make sure that a large net revenue generator for the US economy has its transit needs met.

Connecticut is a metro-NYC arbitrage. That works in a rural place like New Hampshire that has no cities and few poor people. Connecticut starved their infrastructure for 40 years to be the low tax alternative for New Yorkers. Now, the budget is largely consumed by debt service, paying out unfunded pension liability, and safety net social services for poor people. There is no money for infrastructure without either having a ginormous tax hike that destroys the whole arbitrage advantage or kicking all the poor people out into the street, including elderly in nursing homes, the way you'd do in a red state.

In today's political climate, Federal tax money is transferred from the high income blue states to the zero service red states. You're not going to see big Federal investment in blue state infrastructure. There is no state money for it. What you see is largely what will be for the next 30+ years. What needs to be done is make more efficient use of what exists now. It's incredible to me that Connecticut doesn't have traffic metering lights on on-ramps. Why isn't there congestion-based tolling? Occupant-based tolling?

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Connecticut is a metro-NYC arbitrage. That works in a rural place like New Hampshire that has no cities and few poor people. Connecticut starved their infrastructure for 40 years to be the low tax alternative for New Yorkers. Now, the budget is largely consumed by debt service, paying out unfunded pension liability, and safety net social services for poor people. There is no money for infrastructure without either having a ginormous tax hike that destroys the whole arbitrage advantage or kicking all the poor people out into the street, including elderly in nursing homes, the way you'd do in a red state.

In today's political climate, Federal tax money is transferred from the high income blue states to the zero service red states. You're not going to see big Federal investment in blue state infrastructure. There is no state money for it. What you see is largely what will be for the next 30+ years. What needs to be done is make more efficient use of what exists now. It's incredible to me that Connecticut doesn't have traffic metering lights on on-ramps. Why isn't there congestion-based tolling? Occupant-based tolling?

You are correct that the penny-pinching policies of the past significantly hurt our state. The underfunding of transportation back in the 70's under Ella Grasso directly lead to the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge; canceled a vital loop road around Hartford; cancel key links in our highway network (Route 7 between Norwalk and Danbury, Route 25 between Trumbull and Newtown) and stopped an already built modern mass transit system planned for Hartford (the monorail at Bradley Airport). We are still paying for these very shortsighted decisions.

As I have explained here before, CTDOT has studied the use of ramp metering but found that our highway system is not adequate to handle this. For ramp metering you either need long storage areas on or approaching ramps to store vehicles waiting to enter the highway or you need a well connected/well operating secondary roadway network to divert traffic to. The sections of highway where this would be best deployed do not have this so ramp metering was ruled out as an option in our state. If you look around the region you will see that no states in the northeast have ramp metering for that very same reason.

Congestion based tolling is a relatively new concept that has come out of the technology boom of the last 30 years. The state has looked at it very closely but remember we are a state that did away with tolling 35 years ago so it is only being considered now. Unfortunately our state has a lot of people that object to tolling of any kind including many of our short-sighted legislators. The battle lines are being drawn as we speak and hopefully there will be a compromise to get the desperately needed funding for our transportation system. We will see. Jay

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Not sure what you’re going on about. CT is part of a region that has been the largest economic driver in the US almost since the founding of the country. For at least decades if not centuries, CT has been one of the largest per capita net tax revenue versus federal expenditure states in the union. Local state taxes partially did quite a bit in offsetting this differential of expenditure and that’s an issue now. It’s reasonable for the feds to take infrastructure more easily as a whole across the country, and economically advisable to make sure that a large net revenue generator for the US economy has its transit needs met.

We’re not talking about large national-scale projects. We’re talking about local projects, or regional projects. Nothing that has been mentioned here is of a national scale.

I also dont agree with the starting premise — that Feds “rob Peter to pay Paul” and that justifies that for Transportation the Central Govt should rob Paul to pay Peter.

[BPt111]

DOT: All Hartford Line Locomotives Won't Be Ready Until June - Hartford Courant

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You are correct that the penny-pinching policies of the past significantly hurt our state. The underfunding of transportation back in the 70's under Ella Grasso directly lead to the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge; canceled a vital loop road around Hartford; cancel key links in our highway network (Route 7 between Norwalk and Danbury, Route 25 between Trumbull and Newtown) and stopped an already built modern mass transit system planned for Hartford (the monorail at Bradley Airport). We are still paying for these very shortsighted decisions.

As I have explained here before, CTDOT has studied the use of ramp metering but found that our highway system is not adequate to handle this. For ramp metering you either need long storage areas on or approaching ramps to store vehicles waiting to enter the highway or you need a well connected/well operating secondary roadway network to divert traffic to. The sections of highway where this would be best deployed do not have this so ramp metering was ruled out as an option in our state. If you look around the region you will see that no states in the northeast have ramp metering for that very same reason.

Congestion based tolling is a relatively new concept that has come out of the technology boom of the last 30 years. The state has looked at it very closely but remember we are a state that did away with tolling 35 years ago so it is only being considered now. Unfortunately our state has a lot of people that object to tolling of any kind including many of our short-sighted legislators. The battle lines are being drawn as we speak and hopefully there will be a compromise to get the desperately needed funding for our transportation system. We will see. Jay

I know in Seattle congestion based tolling has had it's own issues. They congestion tolled the 520 bridge for instance it made traffic much lighter because 40% of traffic moved onto local roads to avoid the toll. The also added a a congestion lane to the 405 same thing it slowed traffic on the regular highway thanks to bottlenecks where the lane started and ended , as well as still not reducing the traffic as much as studies said it would.
The only way congestion pricing works is if you have enough subsidized public transport to make up for everyone you price out. I recently read a study that said in order to make it really work 100% of tolls collected would have to be put into public transportation infrastructure.

[BPt111]

CT need this on state busiest highways especially I-95 with close calls when cars merge into highways. I see near call accidents daily


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLI4SwW5wZw

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BPt111

CT need this on state busiest highways especially I-95 with close calls when cars merge into highways. I see near call accidents daily


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLI4SwW5wZw

If you notice the ramp in this is VERY long. We do not have many ramps that length here in Connecticut. The ramps that are that length are not in congested areas. That is why CTDOT found ramp metering to be unsuitable for use in our state. Jay

[ayoskillz]

Originally Posted by BPt111

CT need this on state busiest highways especially I-95 with close calls when cars merge into highways. I see near call accidents daily


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLI4SwW5wZw

In cities i been to that has that like Columbus oh and atlanta g.a . It doesnt work that great in Atlanta because people sometimes run the red lights. Also during high peak times causes back ups

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by ayoskillz

In cities i been to that has that like Columbus oh and atlanta g.a . It doesnt work that great in Atlanta because people sometimes run the red lights. Also during high peak times causes back ups

They had one in Denver area when I was there it had red light camera if run the light at red.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BPt111

They had one in Denver area when I was there it had red light camera if run the light at red.

Denver has red light cameras on the traffic metering lights at all the on-ramps on I-25, I-225, and I-70. If you blow through the light, you get a ticket. Compliance is pretty much 100%.