#HARTFORD – State Rep. Gail Lavielle (R-143) has introduced a bill the General Assembly that would require legislative approval in order to increase rail or bus fares. This would alter the current system, where the Department of Transportation (DOT), an executive branch agency, can act unilaterally under the governor’s authority to increase mass transit fares. The General Assembly’s Transportation Committee has scheduled a public hearing for Lavielle’s bill, HB 5773, this Monday, January 30, at 11:00 A.M. in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford.
“Last year, commuters were subjected to new rail and bus fare hikes that brought them absolutely no benefits, and they were justifiably upset,” said Rep. Lavielle. “This bill would protect commuters by creating a more deliberate and public process for imposing fare increases. Although the bill would not prevent any future fare hikes, proposals would be subject to floor debate and public vote, and would make legislators accountable for their votes to increase mass transit fares.”
On December 1 of last year, the DOT announced a Metro-North fare hike after the governor required the agency to make substantial cuts to its budget.
Added Rep. Lavielle, “The increase represented neither service improvements nor rising costs, but was, rather, a means of making commuters pay for a deficiency in the overall state budget.”
Rep. Lavielle formed a group of legislators who worked together to circulate a petition on the morning trains and online. Along with the petition, they submitted a concrete proposal to the governor and legislative leadership for an alternative to the fare hike that would have generated revenues without imposing new obligations on commuters or taxpayers. While the legislature could have voted to approve an alternative source of revenue, majority legislative leaders, who had no obligation to intervene, were unresponsive. In that situation, Rep. Lavielle’s legislation would have required the legislature to be actively involved in the fare increase decision.
Concerned residents may testify at the public hearing at the LOB in Hartford this Monday at 11:00 A.M. Alternatively, they may submit written testimony at tratestimony@cga.ct.gov. All written submissions should include the author’s name and town, and mention “HB5773” in the subject line.
(State Rep. Gail Lavielle Press Release)
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