(photo) Sen. Hwang: Transportation bill addresses “street takeovers”, Merritt trucks, tree-cutting, noise barriers, and rail

May 26, 2023

For Immediate Release

Sen. Hwang Applauds Senate Passage of Bill to Improve
Transportation Safety, Efficiency and Quality of Life

Watch Sen. Hwang’s Remarks

Sen. Tony Hwang, the Ranking Senator on the Transportation Committee, today applauded the State Senate’s May 25 unanimous passage of a multi-faceted legislation he co-introduced which makes improvements to the state’s transportation policies.

“Transportation policies impact all of us,” Sen. Hwang said.  “This comprehensive legislation is truly a collaborative effort among the Democrat and Republican leadership on our committee as well as with our Connecticut Department of Transportation. We are taking positive bipartisan steps to improve transportation safety and efficiency in order to improve the quality of life for everyone in our state.”

The legislation contains policies to:

  1. Study the state’s vegetation management and tree-cutting policies in order to achieve a balance between respecting private property owners while providing necessary maintenance. Earlier this year, Sen. Hwang spoke out to DOT after Fairfield residents and town officials were not notified of a tree-clearing campaign along Interstate 95, and state officials promised to provide better direct communications with neighbors going forward
  2. Conduct a statewide evaluation of decibel levels along state roadways and analyze the feasibility of constructing noise barriers along priority areas
  3. Increases fines and criminal penalties for illegal “street takeovers”
  4. Increases fines for tractor trailers that drive on the Merritt Parkway
  5. Makes improvements to the Connecticut Public Transportation Council (currently called the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council) in order to give residents who regularly use rail services more of a voice. Sen. Hwang re-emphasized his commitment to fully funding Connecticut’s rail system. “Rail is an economic engine for our state which reduces congestion on our roadways and helps reduce air pollution,” Sen. Hwang said. “The quality of our rail lines and their services must be maintained.”

The legislation awaits a vote in the House of Representatives.
On the web: www.SenatorHwang.com

Attached photo:
Sen. Tony Hwang addresses the Senate Chamber on May 25.