State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title13b > Chap242a > Sec13b-57h

      Sec. 13b-57h. Approval of Transportation Strategy Board principles. Use of funds from Transportation Strategy Board account. Use of other state and federal funds. Projects to be completed. (a) The General Assembly approves the principles set forth in section I of the report specified in subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 13b-57d, provided no funds from the Transportation Strategy Board projects account, established under section 13b-57r, shall be authorized for any transportation project except those specified in subsection (b) of this section, provided nothing in this subsection shall preclude any TSB project from being funded, in whole or in part, by other state or federal funds. Funds authorized for any TSB project shall be used only for said project. TSB projects shall be funded from funds authorized for the Transportation Strategy Board only to the extent such funding is not provided from other funds in the Special Transportation Fund or the Infrastructure Improvement Fund created by the senior indenture for special tax obligation bonds.

      (b) The following TSB projects shall be completed:

      (1) In the Coastal Corridor TIA, as defined in section 13b-57d:

      (A) Acquire rolling rail stock, as deemed appropriate by the board, sufficient to add no fewer than two thousand seats for the Metro North-New Haven Line for use in both interstate and intrastate service. All payments received by the state pursuant to any agreement entered into in accordance with subsection (h) of section 13b-34 involving rolling rail stock used on the Metro North-New Haven Line shall be used exclusively for refurbishing rolling rail stock on and other capital improvements to the Metro North-New Haven Line;

      (B) Construct or expand stations at Bridgeport, New Haven and Stamford that can accommodate rail service and one or more other modes of transportation and have:

      (i) Facilities for one thousand or more parking spaces;

      (ii) Connections to bus and other transit systems;

      (iii) Opportunity for community revitalization;

      (iv) Opportunity for transit oriented development;

      (v) Ease of auto, bus, bicycle and pedestrian access to the station facility;

      (vi) Potential to attract sufficient riders to support additional express trains;

      (vii) Operation under control of the state; and

      (viii) Feeder bus services for passenger rail service;

      (C) Facilitate use of the Long Island Sound Waterway for passenger and freight movement, including, but not limited to, bulkheading and dredging, upon removal of prohibitions imposed by federal law, expanding passenger facilities, including facilities at the Bridgeport Intermodal Facility, to support high speed ferry service; and

      (2) In the I-84 Corridor TIA, as defined in section 13b-57d:

      (A) Establish express bus services from New Haven to Bradley International Airport;

      (B) Complete the New Britain to Hartford busway and establish other bus rapid transit or light rail service in Hartford and surrounding towns; and

      (C) Expand rail passenger service on the Norwalk to Danbury-New Milford Branch Line to assist commuter movement on Route 7 and I-95; and

      (3) In the I-91 Corridor TIA, as defined in section 13b-57d:

      (A) Upgrade or construct maintenance facilities and parking facilities and upgrade feeder bus services for passenger rail service, particularly along the Metro North-New Haven Line; and

      (B) Establish bus service or commuter rail service, as determined in the Hartford-Springfield-New Haven Implementation Study conducted by the department, that runs through New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, with a connection to Bradley International Airport; and

      (4) In the I-395 Corridor TIA, as defined in section 13b-57d:

      (A) Establish rail freight service with connections to the port of New London;

      (B) Expand the frequency of bus service, number of runs and connections within and outside of the region, particularly in and to Norwich and New London and acquire buses sufficient to add no fewer than two hundred seats; and

      (C) Design and plan for traffic mitigation in southeastern Connecticut, including planning for the extension of Route 11 from its terminus in Salem to the I-95 and I-395 intersect, with appropriate greenway purchases made in accordance with section 13a-142e; and

      (5) In the Southeast Corridor TIA, as defined in section 13b-57d:

      (A) Acquire rolling rail stock for the Shoreline East Railroad Line sufficient to add no fewer than one thousand seats;

      (B) Make operational improvements to highways that improve the flow of traffic on I-95 and I-395; and

      (6) State-wide:

      (A) Improve and target marketing by the department of the Deduct-a-Ride program to all eligible employers; and

      (B) Continue funding the Jobs Access Program.

      (c) Repealed by P.A. 06-136, S. 35, effective July 1, 2006.

      (June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 3; P.A. 04-143, S. 13, 28; 04-149, S. 1; P.A. 06-136, S. 35.)

      History: June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-143 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-143 and P.A. 04-149 both amended Subsec. (a) to require funding for TSB projects from Transportation Strategy Board funds only if not otherwise funded from Special Transportation Fund or Infrastructure Improvement Fund, effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 06-136 repealed Subsec. (c) re submission of economic development plans for TSB projects requiring expenditures of more than $1,000,000, effective July 1, 2006.