Hartford, CT — Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess III of Naugatuck addressed Connecticut’s infrastructure problems in a recent op-ed in the Hartford Courant. Discussing the need for inland port development and improved intermodal connections, Hess highlights the benefits of rail over highway-bound modes in terms of infrastructure damage.
“Because heavy trucks cause the lion’s share of roadway wear, they should pay more into the system than passenger vehicles. To work, the new system would need to ensure that heavy trucks cover the full costs of damage they cause to pavements and bridges. Not to do so would perpetuate an existing subsidy of sorts, where other highway users and taxpayers pay for damages trucks cause, incentivizing truck traffic over other modes of transportation. The system is exacerbated in Connecticut, where we carry the burden of high traffic volume without receiving benefits from any potential revenue source.”
“For our state and federal policymakers, it makes sense to look at the success of the freight rail sector and its user-pay model. Let us keep Connecticut’s commerce flowing by committing to policies that ensure strong infrastructure systems as well as intermodal connections that will connect Connecticut to the region, the nation and the world.”
