Connecticut Legislators Renew Call for Transportation Lockbox

As state leaders meet to try to close a $370 million budget shortfall, advocates for transportation funding say they still believe a lockbox is essential to revamping the state’s infrastructure.

Governor Dannel Malloy has been a staunch proponent of putting constitutional protections around the special transportation fund, but so far he’s been unable to get support from the legislative leadership.

But at a press conference Thursday, Jonathan Steinberg, the co-chair of the transportation bonding sub-committee, said he wants to see not only a lockbox, but also a guaranteed revenue stream.

"The lockbox is only as good as the money that's in it," Steinberg said. "And we know that we have funding issues relating to the monies that would typically go into the lockbox. So it's not a solution in itself. It's an important marker for us that we're serious about the investment that needs to happen."

Lyle Wray of the Capital Region Council of Governments echoed the call, saying transportation is critically important to the state’s economic future.

"We want to attract the next generation of workforce? They like things like CTfastrak and rail connections to New York and Boston," Wray said. "We need to maintain that, as well as maintain the infrastructure, and there are very long lead times. So the lockbox is a very critical piece of this, so that we have the ability to plan and develop projects with long term horizons."

Senate Republicans called the press conference a political move, saying if Democrats were serious about a lockbox, they would have included one in the budget.