(Shudder, Danbury) Fiscal Woes Resurrect Talk of Tolls in CT

While the federal government teeters on the edge of a so-called fiscal cliff, the State of Connecticut stands amidst its own growing financial woes.

That, along with that fact that state highway trust funds are fast running dry, has transportation officials scrambling to find ways to avoid what could be a disaster, the Connecticut Mirror reports.

There are several major transportation projects on the table that lack the necessary funding, and with the financial conditions the way they are on both the state and federal levels, there are no easy answers where that money will come.

One answer officials are considering is bringing back tolls.

This idea is a dead letter in Danbury, where anyone with eyes and a car or truck can find an alternate route around a border toll. That would put cars on city streets that would otherwise take the highway. More traffic congestion in the city.

A devastating 1983 crash in Stratford on I-95 that killed seven people was the death knell for tolls in Connecticut, but the blistering recession, combined with a reliance on gas taxes that has caused gas prices to skyrocket, has put tolls once again on the table as an option.

Earlier this year, legislators brought up the possibility of bringing back the tolls. While it passed the state Senate, the House was not as supportive and the bill quickly died.

The most recent suggestion coming out of this week's forum has quickly drawn a reaction from residents around Connecticut. One Trumbull Patch reader was quick to come out against it.

What do you think? Is it time to bring back the tolls?