Sen. Fasano Calls on Malloy to Pledge Protection for Transportation Funding

Hartford – Today State Senator Len Fasano is calling on Governor Malloy to make a pledge to protect transportation funding in Connecticut. Fasano’s request comes in light of the national debate in Congress over the U.S. Transportation Department’s Highway Trust Fund and statements made by Governor Malloy in support of federal transportation funding last week, including the governor’s comment: “I can’t imagine Republicans being so crazy, so crazy that they would allow this to cripple our economy.” In response to the governor, Senator Fasano issued the following statement.

“I find it ironic that Governor Malloy calls Republicans in Congress ‘crazy,’ when in fact he is the one who has made ‘crazy’ decisions to divert taxpayer dollars intended for transportation to other projects in his own state. He has not appropriately funded transportation and has shifted over $189 million dollars away from needed transportation improvement projects. In a state where transportation is so essential to economic development and quality of life – a state where unmet transportation needs have threatened people’s everyday safety – I find the governor’s budget decisions irrational and unnerving,” said Fasano.

“If Governor Malloy is truly dedicated to making our roads, bridges and railways safe, I would like him to commit to never again divert funds from our state’s Special Transportation Fund and pledge to protect all the funds intended for safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements. The governor has not appropriately supported our state’s transportation needs in the past, and it is time for him to show us that he understands the concerns shared by the people of Connecticut. If we are to fix our state’s transportation problems, we must start by addressing the problems here, at home any way we can. Pledging to protect funding is a long overdue first step for the governor.”