🔒CT must weigh true costs of transportation overhaul

Investing billions of dollars into Connecticut's transportation infrastructure will create an economic boom in Connecticut, lifting the tides of residents and businesses alike.

That's what Gov. Dannel P. Malloy wants Connecticut to believe as he releases a litany of reports espousing the merits of his ambitious 30-year, $100 billion transportation overhaul that would fund investments in highways, roads, bridges, rail and other thoroughfares.

The most recent report, conducted by state researchers in conjunction with consulting firm CDM Smith, said the $5.3 billion pricetag to replace the I-84 viaduct in Hartford is worth the cost because it would result in more than $9 billion in benefits, like reduced travel time, fewer accidents and congestion, and lower vehicle operating costs. Another recent report, by a Boston consulting firm, touted a 250 percent return on investment for $3.9 billion in upgrades to the New Haven rail line.

The reports certainly paint a positive picture of Malloy's “Let's Go CT!” initiative, but they only tell half the story. What they fail to do is reveal how the higher taxes and/or fees needed to pay for the investments will impact the cost of living and doing business in the state.

The timing of these reports isn't by chance. Malloy's transportation finance panel is expected to release its recommendations this month for how to fund the Democratic governor's $100 billion plan, and there will undoubtedly be some tough medicine for taxpayers.

Whether it's the adoption of tolls, a mileage tax, or higher gasoline taxes, Connecticut taxpayers will need to ante up more to sate Malloy's infrastructure ambitions. All of this, of course, is occurring amid a backdrop of significant budget deficits projected over the next few years, raising legitimate questions about whether or not Connecticut can afford to significantly ramp-up transportation investments while it cuts services and/or raise taxes just to maintain current spending levels.

Connecticut taxpayers are too smart to allow government-sponsored reports influence them into writing a blank check to state legislators for transportation investments. That's not to say, however, residents don't believe in the virtues of improving congested highways or crumbling bridges.

Indeed, the business community has voiced support for rehabbing Connecticut's aging infrastructure and the legislature must stop raiding the special transportation fund to fill holes in the general budget. There are certainly economic benefits to reducing traffic along I-84 in Hartford or in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Expanding a rail line that connects Hartford to New York City and Boston could be a game changer.

But at what cost is this all worth it?

The problem the Malloy administration faces is that it is proposing an ambitious spending plan at a time when Connecticut is in a state of permanent fiscal crisis, of which there are no clear signs or strategies to get out of. The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis is projecting deficits for the next three fiscal years, including a $1.72 billion shortfall in fiscal 2017-18.

Malloy and the legislature cannot responsibly ramp-up transportation funding without offering a big-picture plan as to how they will balance the budget for the foreseeable future. Taxpayers need a full, transparent look at what it will cost to fund state government over the next few years, including all the tax hikes that will be required to pay for transportation, higher pension costs and all other public services. Only then can we better prioritize our spending and investment needs.

Connecticut won't reap the economic benefits of major infrastructure investment if, at the same time, we dramatically increase the cost of living and doing business in the state.