Sec. 13b-57g. Transportation strategy. Development. Revisions. Report.
Sec. 13b-57g. Transportation strategy. Development. Revisions. Report. (a)
Not later than January 15, 2002, the board shall propose to the General Assembly an
initial transportation strategy.
(b) In developing the strategy and the revisions, the board shall take into account:
(1) The strategic concerns associated with the movement of people and goods; (2) the
technological options and multimodal options, including, but not limited to, transportation by rail, road, air or water, available to address such concerns; (3) the relationship
of such concerns and options to sustainable economic growth, environmental quality,
urban development, open space, open space preservation, access to employment by
residents of the state and public safety; (4) that transportation is a cornerstone of the
state's economic vitality and overall quality of life and therefore inextricably linked to
other key policies that deal with the state's future including, but not limited to, land use
planning, environmental quality, urban vitality and access to quality jobs and services
for the state's residents; (5) the connectivity of the state to the northeast, continental
and international economies and that the mobility of people and goods within the state
are critical to vibrant and sustainable economic growth; (6) that the benefits of leveraging
existing transportation assets and infrastructure, especially in urban centers, and the
reduction of automobile-oriented demands, are highly desirable; (7) managing demand
for transportation assets, including using employer and employee-based initiatives as an
integral part of the strategy; (8) the integration of brownfields remediation and affordable
housing and access to employment that should occur as a result of implementing the
strategy; (9) the need to engage local planning agencies and other relevant constituencies
in developing the strategy; (10) the need to engage representatives of the state's major
transportation assets and of the transportation industry in the strategy to help ensure that
the strategy is multimodal and integrated; (11) the benefits of technology to expand
capacity, enhance safety, provide information and access funding alternatives; (12) the
need to reduce congestion by encouraging greenway initiatives, safe-routes-to-school
programs and rideshare programs; (13) the need to fully explore the sources and methodologies for funding investments in transportation infrastructure, and for annual operating
and maintenance costs and the regulations applicable to the expenditure of federal and
state funds; (14) that the development of appropriate metrics, methodologies and standards is essential for determining customer needs, for evaluating the return on transportation investments and for the prioritization of specific projects and the degree of success
in meeting these needs; (15) that the state needs to play a leadership role with the other
northeastern states and the eastern Canadian provinces in developing and advocating a
transportation strategy for the northeast region of the continent; (16) that the analyses
and decision-making related to transportation initiatives in the strategy needs to be done
expeditiously within the existing statutory and regulatory framework and that any
amendments to the general statutes or to the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies
that are needed to achieve such objectives should be identified; (17) the development,
renovation and expansion of Bradley International Airport; (18) the state conservation
and development plan, established pursuant to section 16a-24; and (19) that the role,
including the role of financial incentives, of private sector companies, public agencies
and institutions needs to be clearly defined with respect to (A) encouraging and supporting employees to use public transportation, (B) providing employees with appropriate
alternatives to the locations at which and during the times they perform their work,
including, but not limited to, flexible working hours and telecommuting, (C) developing
an effective means for delivering goods within and through the state, and (D) encouraging different sectors to participate with the state in specific initiatives. In developing
the strategy and the revisions pertaining to roads, the board shall establish as its priority
for improving transportation on public highways the use of public transportation and
other traffic mitigation methods not involving the improvement or expansion of public
highways. The board shall propose improving public highway transportation by the
improvement or expansion of public highways only after it has determined that no means
of public transportation or other traffic mitigation method exists that will accomplish
such improvement. The board shall include an explanation and documentation of such
determination with any proposed improvement or expansion of any public highway.
(c) The board shall design the strategy and any revisions to it to achieve the following results:
(1) Public benefits that consist of (A) stimulating sustainable economic growth and
enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the state, and (B) developing and continuously upgrading analytical tools to demonstrate the link between transportation and the
public benefits;
(2) Ease of mobility of people and goods within the state and the TIAs, that consists
of (A) reducing traffic congestion, (B) enabling inter-corridor movement within the
state, and (C) enabling access to employment opportunities and essential services;
(3) Connectivity in access to the regional, national and global economies, that consists of (A) improving access (i) to surrounding states, consisting of the Interstate 95
corridor to New York, the Connecticut River Valley and Interstate 91 corridor to Springfield, Massachusetts and southeastern Connecticut to Massachusetts, New York and
Rhode Island, and (ii) to the national and global economies; and (B) expanding modal
choices for passenger and freight, consisting of (i) developing an airport system that
stimulates growth, (ii) linking the state to international rail grids, (iii) developing water-borne alternatives, and (iv) assuring workable freight access to the ports of New York
and New Jersey and the corridor related to the North American Free Trade Agreement;
(4) Safety and security that consists of (A) adequately maintaining infrastructure
and equipment, and (B) enforcing safe operations and use of the transportation systems
by customers and operators; and
(5) Expanded use of public transportation and other traffic mitigation methods to
relieve congestion on public highways.
(d) In designing the strategy to achieve the results provided in subsection (c) of this
section, the board shall evaluate specific tactics and approaches in the strategy by using
the following criteria:
(1) Focusing on people who use transportation systems by (A) involving such people directly in planning and through ongoing market research, (B) creating a seamless
interface with state, regional, national and global systems, and (C) developing transportation systems that operate as if they had intelligence, including, but not limited to,
systems that provide real-time information to their users;
(2) Oriented to economic growth by (A) responsiveness to general business needs,
(B) responsiveness to specific industry cluster needs, and (C) support for state urban
development strategies;
(3) Being environmentally responsible by (A) improving air quality, (B) leveraging
existing assets to minimize impact on wetlands and open space by directing development
to the areas of the state that have the infrastructure to support the development, and (C)
reducing energy consumption;
(4) Encouraging and enabling intermodal links and usage wherever possible, and
managing the transportation systems from a multimodal perspective; and
(5) Involving the TIAs by (A) building upon natural economic and service areas,
(B) enhancing connectivity of all population centers in the state, and (C) implementing
strategic priorities through TIAs.
(e) The board shall include in the strategy and any revisions to it the criteria by which
the board, the commissioner and the department will evaluate and prioritize existing and
proposed transportation projects.
(f) The board shall identify in the strategy and any revisions to it the tools and
measures by which it intends to assess transportation system performance and analyze
the value of projects proposed to implement the strategy, including their overall value
to the state as a public investment.
(g) The board shall include in the strategy and any revisions to it (1) a projection
of the required capital investments and operating costs over the next succeeding ten
years and the recommended sources of such funds, (2) a distinction between transportation costs for operations and maintenance and transportation investments which shall
(A) be based on the strategy and evaluated against strategic goals, (B) provide additional
benefits that are tangible and attainable, (C) include a range of transportation uses including, but not limited to, transit, airways, highways, waterways and freight, to gain public
support, (D) reach as many people as possible throughout the entire community in each
TIA, and (E) respond to widely perceived needs.
(h) The board shall review the TIA corridor plan prepared by each TIA, as provided
in section 13b-57f, and may incorporate all or parts of such plans in the strategy and
any revisions to it.
(i) In developing and revising the strategy, the board may: (1) Conduct public hearings; (2) consult and cooperate with officials and representatives of the federal government, neighboring states, interstate commissions and authorities, local agencies and
authorities, interested corporations and other organizations concerning problems affecting transportation in the state; (3) request and receive from any agency or other unit of
the government, of the state or of any political subdivision of the state, or from any
public authority, such assistance and data as may be necessary to enable the board to
carry out the board's responsibilities under this section; and (4) to the extent the board
may deem appropriate, make use of, and incorporate in the strategy and any revisions
to it, any existing long-range transportation plan, survey or report developed by any
public or private agency or person.
(j) Not later than January 1, 2007, and quadrennially thereafter, the board shall
review and, if necessary, revise the strategy adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this
section. A report describing any revisions and the reasons for them shall be submitted
to the Governor and, pursuant to section 11-4a, the General Assembly. Such report shall
include a prioritized list of projects which the board, in consultation with the commissioner, determines are necessary to implement the recommended strategy, including the
estimated capital and operating costs and time frame of such projects, and completion
schedule for all projects. Not later than January 31, 2007, and quadrennially thereafter,
the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to transportation, finance, revenue and bonding and planning and development
and the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee having cognizance of matters relating to commerce, shall meet with the Commissioners of Transportation and Economic and Community Development, the Secretary of the Office of Policy
and Management, the chairperson of the Transportation Strategy Board and such other
persons as they deem appropriate to consider the report required by this subsection.
(k) Copies of the strategy and revisions to the strategy shall be kept on file as a
public record in the department.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5, S. 4, 18; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 9; P.A. 06-136, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7, S. 97.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5 effective July 2, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 added Subsec. (b)(7) re managing
demand for transportation assets, redesignating existing Subdivs. (7) to (17) as new Subdivs. (8) to (18), adding "and the
degree of success in meeting these needs" in new Subdiv. (13) and adding requirement that on and after August 20, 2003,
the board establish public transportation and other traffic mitigation methods not involving road improvement or expansion
as priorities, added Subsec. (c)(5) re expanded use of public transportation and other traffic mitigation methods, and
amended Subsec. (k) to add provisions re submission of reports to the Governor and legislative committees and re update
or revision of strategy subject to approval by General Assembly and to make conforming and technical changes, effective
August 20, 2003; P.A. 06-136 added Subsec. (b)(12) re need to reduce congestion, redesignating existing Subdivs. (12)
to (18) as Subdivs. (13) to (19) and deleting date re priority in developing strategy, inserted provision re revisions to strategy
in Subsecs. (c), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i), added new Subsec. (j) re periodic review, revision and reporting on strategy,
redesignated exiting Subsec. (j) as new Subsec. (k), and deleted former Subsec. (k) re required reports, effective July 1,
2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7 amended Subsec. (j) by replacing "biennially" with "quadrennially" re review and revision
of strategy, including project completion schedules in report requirements, inserting "and quadrennially thereafter" re
meeting requirement and adding chairpersons and ranking members of commerce committee to list of meeting participants,
effective November 2, 2007.