Driving around Connecticut might get more expensive as lawmakers consider bringing toll booths back to the state and that idea is not sitting well with many residents in Colchester.
“How much can the people pay?” Thomas Dombroski asked.
Colchester residents are paying particular attention to the issue because one proposal lawmakers are considering would put a toll booth on Route 11, which runs through there.
“No tolls — plain and simple,” Dennis Tozier said.
Other proposals would place tolls along the border and throughout the state.
Proponents argue that the tolls would bring money in to the state’s cash-strapped budget and reduce the gas tax.
Opponents aren’t so sure.
“I’ve never seen a tax go down, and I really don’t believe the gas tax would ever go down,” Tozier said.
He is also concerned that more toll booths would hurt working people.
“I work all over the state, and it would just be an added burden to myself and a lot of these companies that pay tolls for their employees," he said.
Others are concerned about the affect toll booths would have on traffic.
“It’s a waste of money. It’s a waste of gas … slows traffic. It’s not a good idea,” said Mike Sylvester.
However, many state lawmakers believe tolls are the best way to raise money for the state, and the transportation committee is holding a public meeting on Monday to hear different proposals on how to re-establish them.
The hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Room 1E of the Legislative Office Building.
Toll booths were phased out of Connecticut in the 1980s after a tragic crash killed seven people near a toll barrier in Stratford.
Photo Credit: Chopper 10