Press Releases
01/15/2016
Gov. Malloy Statement on Final Report of the Transportation Finance Panel
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today released the following statement regarding the final report of the Transportation Finance Panel:
"A year ago we launched a conversation about our infrastructure. With this report, we can have a more informed conversation. Our infrastructure didn't deteriorate overnight, and it won't get fixed overnight. But what this conversation is about is the long-term, and it's about doing the kind of planning we didn't do for a generation.
"While some would like the public to believe you can get something for nothing, or that a best-in-class transportation system is free, that's not the case. Some may suggest plans that promise the world without actually fixing what needs to get fixed - and others may suggest fixing our infrastructure can be done with virtually no expense. It isn't true.
"Throughout this conversation, one thing has become abundantly clear: Connecticut cannot afford to wait any longer to modernize our transportation system. If we want to compete, we have to invest. If we want to be an attractive place to do business, we need to upgrade our infrastructure. In a global economy, a state's success hinges on the quality of their infrastructure.
"We may disagree on the details, but what we all should agree on is to give residents a pledge that money spent on transportation should be spent only on transportation. If we want to not just prevent businesses from leaving, but attract new ones, then we must have a constitutional lockbox. That's precisely what this report recommends and it's something we should all be able to agree on if we are to be economically competitive.
"Our infrastructure - and indeed our future - is tied to our transportation system. This shouldn't be a partisan conversation, but a policy one. All of us have an interest in our future, and we should all - business, elected officials, and residents - agree that in a world that's changing, we need to adapt. That starts with our transportation system."
As is detailed in their report, the Transportation Finance Panel found that $66 billion, or two-thirds of the Governor's "Let's Go CT!" initiative, is just to keep the current infrastructure system that exists today preserved and in a state of good repair over the next thirty years.
In surveys, businesses continuously rate transportation as a top priority when making site selection decisions. Corporate executives recently ranked highway accessibility as the number one factor when making these choices, according to Area Development's 29th Annual Corporate Survey. In addition, 77% of job seekers served by the American Job Center Network cited transportation as their number one barrier to employment.
**On the Web: Final report and documents related to the Transportation Finance Panel
- Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice
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