[JayCT]

Originally Posted by JP Nutmegger

The big difference between CT and MA is that only the Mass Pike, Tobin Bridge, and the Sumner/Callahan Tunnel have tolls. Ned wanted to put them on all highways at one time, including a 1.3 mile stretch of I-684 that ducks in and out of CT from New York. NY only has them in the Thruway system, or on major bridge crossings. The main difference in NY is that the roads and bridges that have tolls are controlled by entities separate from the DOT (the NY Thruway Authority, the MTA, PANYNJ, and the NYS Bridge Authority). Like MA, there are plenty of other toll free roads in NY. Also, the Mass Pike and Thruway tolls predate the Interstate Highway System, and were grandfathered into the system, which forbade tolls on an Interstate unless there was a toll free alternative (eg toll free lanes alongside a tolled HOV lane). The tolls on 95 in CT were also grandfathered in, but were abolished after the Stratford toll plaza incident. MA did get rid of tolls for a while for cars west of Exit 6 on the Pike, but they were never abolished; just lowered to $0. And NY and MA don't have the exorbitant property taxes on cars that CT does; the MA excise tax is pennies on the dollar compared to what you would pay in CT. No state has added tolls to all lanes of an existing roadway that was previously toll free except RI with its truck tolls, and those are under legal challenge (the NC toll roads and the many toll roads in FL were new construction, and many of the roads are not part of the IHS, and those that are part of it have toll-free lanes alongside like I-66 in VA and I-95 north of Baltimore).

A couple things, as I have shown here before the Massachusetts car tax is not that much lower than Connecticuts taxes. In some cases, it higher.

The plan to put tolls on Connecticut’s interstate highways is part of a Federal Highway Administration Pilot Program to test alternative funding sources for Highway projects. Connecticut and Rhode Island were selected years ago to participate and Connecticut already received approval to use tolls on I-95 between New Haven and New York and I-84 west of Hartford. Lamont’s plan would have just expanded that approval. Federal Highway set up this program because they long ago realized that the gas tax was not a sustainable revenue source. Jay

[CTartist]

This is good news....I hope it comes true.

"The CT 2030 plan would have added lanes from Greenwich to Bridgeport on I-95 and widened exits as well. Lamont said a fully-funded plan would decrease travel time by about 35 percent when all I-95 projects were completed. Part of the plan called for strategic widening and a new lane for northbound exits 19-27A on I-95 in Bridgeport, which would cost an estimated $350 million to $650 million"
https://patch.com/connecticut/trumbu...country-report

[ProudFairfielder]

Originally Posted by CTartist

This is good news....I hope it comes true.

"The CT 2030 plan would have added lanes from Greenwich to Bridgeport on I-95 and widened exits as well. Lamont said a fully-funded plan would decrease travel time by about 35 percent when all I-95 projects were completed. Part of the plan called for strategic widening and a new lane for northbound exits 19-27A on I-95 in Bridgeport, which would cost an estimated $350 million to $650 million"
https://patch.com/connecticut/trumbu...country-report

Adding lanes almost never helps so I really hope it doesn't happen. I'd rather see that money invested in public transit and adding tolls.

[Reilly1017]

On I-91 north of Hartford there is a carpool lane and a lane that separates it from the main lanes, maybe 10% of cars use carpool, if you opened up both lanes to normal traffic I’m sure it would ease congestion

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by ProudFairfielder

Adding lanes almost never helps so I really hope it doesn't happen. I'd rather see that money invested in public transit and adding tolls.

I agree. The more robust and fast the trains are, the less the highways are needed for commuting. Coupled with more TOD and you have the future of the 95 corridor.

Plus, when autonomous vehicles catch on, it will remove a lot of human error that currently contributes to traffic.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Reilly1017

On I-91 north of Hartford there is a carpool lane and a lane that separates it from the main lanes, maybe 10% of cars use carpool, if you opened up both lanes to normal traffic I’m sure it would ease congestion

You have to look at the number of people those lanes carry, not the number of cars. The lanes allow buses and two or more person cars to get into Hartford faster, thus they help encourage mass transit and car pooling usage. Without them traffic would be a lot heavier since most people using the lanes would drive their own cars. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ProudFairfielder

Adding lanes almost never helps so I really hope it doesn't happen. I'd rather see that money invested in public transit and adding tolls.

I disagree. Most of I-95 has not been upgraded since it was over 60 years ago. It was a very different world back then. It’s well past the time the Highway was brought into the 21 Century. Strategic widening and reconstruction would do that. Just look at what the Q Bridge project did for I-95 in New Haven. Why shouldn’t the entire highway have a similar upgrade?

The state has been investing billions in mass transit over the past couple decades. It plans to continue doing that. New train sets, power lines, tracks and stations have been added and it’s helped but transportation needs a balanced approach with multiple modes offered and improved. That includes highways, buses and trains.

Finally I would like to note that Connecticut can’t just shift its entire transportation budget to mass transit. The federal government would not allow it. The state has an obligation to serve drivers who pay the gas taxes that pay for transportation. Also you can’t just shift money back and forth since funding for highways comes from the Federal Highway Administration while Transit money comes from the Federal Transit Administration. You can’t just shift money between the two. It does not work RK&K that way. Jay

[mdovell]

at this point though unless Connecticut can find some new rail cars fast CT rail has pretty much done with. Massachusetts wants those well cards back see my other threat. You can't just buy a railcar, rail cars take a long time to make we're not talking days or weeks but months just for one.

the rail Factory in Springfield has orders all the way up to 2024 after which they would be looking for another client but I don't think it's going to be good sense to say that Connecticut should spend three and a half years waiting to restore service at just started about a year-and-a-half ago. Hyundai's dealing with the coronavirus and it's pretty bad in South Korea. I don't see global sourcing for any rail system at this point being that efficient given the supply chain management.

Meanwhile you have climate change in Mystic is still just 10 feet above sea level. You don't have a long-term plan to address what happens when much of the Sea Coast could very well be underwater in the Next Generation. it isn't that surprising to see Connecticut push for the East-West Connection in Massachusetts because it might be the only way to connect Boston to Hartford

[Lincolnian]

I recently traveled to Vancouver. There are at least a two dozen high rise buildings, mostly residences being built. The traffic was horrendous. It took an hour to move two miles on a Saturday afternoon through the city from the airport to the route leading to Whistler. Locals report up to 4 hours to make the 77 mile trip from the city to the ski area.

Vancouver has no viable transportation plan to accommodate the huge influx of people moving into the city and the rapid growth in residences. In many cases the limited traffic lanes have been reduced to accommodate bike lanes. However, train service is limited and mass transit is mostly reliant on buses to travel in and out of the city if one does not own a car. Connecticut by comparison has far more options and is at least looking forward to accommodate future demand. Despite our frustration we are going in the right direction with a good mix of roads, trains, buses, bike paths, ferry service, and pedestrian pathways.

[Lincolnian]

Originally Posted by Reilly1017

On I-91 north of Hartford there is a carpool lane and a lane that separates it from the main lanes, maybe 10% of cars use carpool, if you opened up both lanes to normal traffic I’m sure it would ease congestion

Connecticut needs more HOV lanes not less. These lanes are essential to buses offering express service to the cities as well as encouraging people to carpool. My wife and I use them regularly. We adjusted our work schedules in order to travel together to be able to use them. We also regularly use the bus service when traveling individually.

If HOV lanes are underutilized there are many options to encourage ridership and ease congestion. Motorcycles are allowed to use them here and in other areas of the country electric and/or lightweight high mpg vehicles like Smart cars are allowed to use them providing a higher degree of safety for the occupants and reduced emissions for the environment.