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Under the constitutional amendment, any money that goes into the Special Transportation Fund would not be spent on anything other than transportation projects. Malloy had first promoted the lock box idea back in this 2015 State of the State address as a way to repair Connecticut’s neglected transportation infrastructure. However, while the measure passed in the state Senate, it failed to pass the state House of Representatives in December.
“Today, I’m making clear that passing a constitutional lock box and getting it on the ballot in 2016 is one of our highest priorities. The people of Connecticut need to know that the money dedicated for transportation will only be sued for transportation and that future legislators and governors will not be able to raid those funds for other purposes,” Malloy said in a press conference in Meriden Monday afternoon.
Malloy’s plans to improve transportation include a $2.8 billion in infrastructure spending over the next five years, including $1.77 billion for rails, $613 million for highways, $281 million for bridges, $101 million for pedestrian and bicycle trails and $43 million for buses. He said that congestion on roadways alone costs the state $4.2 billion a year.
“Connecticut has 334 bridges and one tunnel rated in poor condition. Nearly a third of those bridges were built before 1950. Forty-seven percent of state maintained roadways are in less than good condition. With current funding conditons being constant, as opposed to what I’m trying to do, that number will grow to 71 percent in a relatively short period of time,” Malloy said.
Malloy said that Democrats voted overwhelmingly of favor of the the proposed amendment last year, but that it still failed to garner enough of a supermajority to get it on the ballot. He said that he has spoken to a number of people who voted against it in the past who are now willing to vote in favor of it. If the measure passes both the state Senate and the House, it would be placed on the ballot in November for residents to vote on.
Malloy will discuss transportation and the need for a lock box when he addresses the legislature during the opening of the 2016 legislative session on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
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