The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) released a study last week which claimed that the state could raise $1 billion per year with a new tolling plan. This news comes just after the election of Connecticut’s new Governor who has said he wants to impose truck-only tolls on out-of-state truckers to fill the state’s funding gaps.
Under the plan, the state would add 82 toll gantries on all of the state’s interstate highways (95, 84, 91, 395, 691 and 291) and multiple State Routes including 15, 8, 2, 9, and the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways. Gantries would be installed an average of 6.6 miles away from each other.
To put toll numbers into perspective, the DOT claims that in order to raise a similar amount of money by raising the gas tax, it would require an increase of 67 cents per gallon. That would bring the total gas tax up to 92 cents per gallon.
But the study was commissioned by the current governor of Connecticut. The governor-elect has said that he’s interested in tolling trucks only – not passenger vehicles.
“Governor-elect Lamont stands by his campaign promise not to toll personal vehicles, but to join our neighboring states in tolling heavy trucks given the significant damage they do to our roads and bridges,” said a spokesperson for Lamont according to the Hartford Courant. “This study confirms the Governor-elect’s projection that tolling trucks would generate significant revenue that can be used to support Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure.”
Under the study’s tolling system, trucks make up 29% of toll revenue. That means truckers would end up paying around $290 million a year. A truck without an E-ZPass would be charged tolls equalling 47.2 cents per mile if they drive during peak hours.
Connecticut is reportedly waiting to see how the legal challenge to Rhode Island’s truck-only tolls plays out before putting forward a formal plan of their own.
According to the CTDOT Commissioner, the study isn’t necessarily the plan that the state will adopt moving forward, but is instead supposed to start a dialogue. The $2 million preliminary study will now be followed up by a $10 million in-depth study to examine the operational and environmental impacts of an all-electronic tolling system in the state.
The full study report is available here.
Connecticut is easy to avoid altogether, and I will certainly go around the state if this goes through. If I’m forced to load or unload in the state, I’ll simply charge the customer for the additional toll expense. Watch the continuous decline of that state as they impose more and more tax.
I KNOW THAT’S RIGHT!!. I WANT BE DELIVERING ANYTHING OVER THERE IN MY TRUCK!🚚 THEY CAN GO JUMP IN THE LAKE!!!.
CT get ready to starve.
Sounds like the Democrats are in charge! Massive surcharges for any loads to or from CT in the future would be my answer if this is implemented.
It’s truetrucks do more damage to roads, but without trucks CT would have no products brought into the state including the tolls they want to put up.
trucks do more damage to roads but repairing them when they need it,not after it has already broken up with pot hole is the answer not waiting till its beyond repair.
So the Governor is saying, in essence, that he no longer wants trucks delivering goods to CT. And he’s willing to spend 12 mil just to do studies. Here’s a study for you. Charge out of state trucks tolls for every inch they drive in CT, and watch businesses go OUT of business as deliveries dwindle and drivers refuse to go there.
Would be great, but unfortunately there are far too many drives who haven’t a clue, many aren’t even citizens. The companies that will just raise their rates so they can cover the tolls, and in the long run We the People will be forking over the bill once again in the price we pay at the stores.
Exactly, truck only tolls sounds great as if truckers are going to be the ones who have to pay it lol, everything in ct will just go up in price and the people who live there will be paying it.
No. It’s no more a violation than Corp vs personal income tax.
Basic economics. No matter what the tax is on corporations, It Doesn’t Matter! Corporations DO NOT pay taxes! The consumer ultimately pays it. So a tax on corporations, is a tax on it.
This can go two ways than. Have the surrounding states impose import fees, paid by the exporter, against ANY freight that leaves CT. Really watch as their infrastructure fails fast.
why bother. RI has truck only tolls .
Not considering the fact that this is a clear case of discrimination against truckers. And a clear case of violating the Constitution
No. It’s no more a violation than Corp vs personal income tax
WE GOT TO STOP TAKING FREIGHT TO ANY STATE WHO TOLL,S TRUCK,S ONLY THAT IS THE ONLY WAY,I STOP GOING TO EAST TWO YEARS AGO AND VERY HAPPY,SO DRIVERS,OWNERS ,FLEETS GET TOGETHER AT ONCE.
They already have tolls on every road it’s called fuel tax.
Always one unfortunate “ I’m not getting my share of the American dream” because I decided not to stay in school” ref.: MOST AREN’T CITIZENS. Comment. What the hell goes that have to do with toll roads in Connecticut?
Good for him and that’s why I left the northeast. I’ll never drive up there the greed is just incredible. Well maybe the freight charges will go up 300%.
The Northeast is a joke for drivers.
I still say, that the product in my trailer weighs more than my truck. How come they aren’t getting punished for tearing up the roads?
I live in Maine, I drive through ct ALOT! But it’s not a big deal to go around Ct if they decide to impose this ! But I probably won’t because I’m a company driver and I don’t care what they charge. And that’s the attitude most of us will have… I still go through Rhode Island when I have to. But ya if it was my truck I’d definitely just go around Connecticut all together
You SHOULD care, even so… It’s the careless that allow this shite to come to fruition!!
Isn’t one state interfering with another state in interstate commerce an ACT OF WAR?
when the illegal people come across the border and shoot at the border patrol,thats an act of war but nothing has been done about it.
That’s okay. Just charge more for the loads. Let the customers pay for it.
Cost of doing business. Simple as that.
Go ahead and toll trucks only Connecticut. I’ll drop my trailer at the state line and you can get the freight your self. Truck only tolls, isn’t that illegal taxation because it only targets one group
I boycotted the colonial 13 states long ago, this only reinforces it.
No problem folks. Just pass the “savings” into the customer’s. They don’t mind paying $6 a gallon for milk.
Onto
The people who voted this in are fools. Do they think these greedy hogs are going to keep their sights fixed on tucks when the money starts? Lol. Maybe, as others have stated, they do not understand the cost of business is passed to the consumers. They will pay for their hated and I will laugh.
Correct me if I’m wrong, where not fuel taxes instituted to pay for roads and maintenance. Have they not increased this tax year after year to pay for roads and maintenance? How come the highways are in bad shape when billions a day are collected country wide In the fuel taxes already collected but none of it seems to ever make its way to roads. I don’t care if you are a Democrat or republican, governments are all the same. All they know how to do is blow money foolishly and raise taxes.
WHAT A SCAM!!
they had toll way back when and they got rid of them because they were causing to many backups and accidents so they got rid of them and the traffic hasn’t changed a bit .
trucks only ? then why are they stating the merritt and Wilbur Cross PARKWAYS , Trucks aren’t allowed on them .
The interstate highway system was built by the federal government. Therefore the states do not have the right to impose tolls on roads they did not build or own. How about I put up a toll booth in front of my house? I didn’t build the road but cars pass my property. Same idiotic concept.