Could Tolls Return to Connecticut—and Can You Trust a Politician's Promise?
Connecticut had highway tolls for decades until public outcry over a catastrophic tractor-trailer crash at the Stratford toll plaza—which killed seven people and ignited an inferno in 1983—led lawmakers to dismantle them entirely by the late 1980s.
Upon taking office in 2019, Governor Ned Lamont pushed hard to bring back electronic toll gantries to shore up the state's depleted Special Transportation Fund. A fierce grassroots backlash forced his administration to withdraw the plan.
They're Baaack?
During the October 27 gubernatorial debate at Mohegan Sun, the issue resurfaced. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) Citizens’ Assembly—tasked with brainstorming ways to reduce the state's heavy reliance on local property taxes—floated reinstating highway tolls to eliminate the municipal property tax on motor vehicles. The candidates responded this way:
Ned Lamont (Democrat): Lamont shut the door on reviving the policy. Reminding the audience of his first term, Lamont remarked: "You may have heard I actually tried something like that a while back. Nobody wanted to do that. We're not going to do that."
Ryan Fazio (Republican): Fazio, who has centered his campaign on cost-of-living relief, rejected the assembly's proposal. Instead of exploring alternative revenue mechanisms like tolls, Fazio argued against shifting new burdens onto drivers, advocating instead for tax relief—such as an expanded gas tax holiday—and strict enforcement of fiscal guardrails to rein in state spending.
Beyond tolls, the Citizens’ Assembly floated several other controversial ideas—most notably an annual 1% income tax surcharge on earnings over $1 million.
Between the Lines: While both candidates were quick to slam the door on highway tolls under the debate lights, will Hartford leaders remain as resolute when municipal lobbies push for alternative revenue? If lawmakers bypass tolls only to reach for a millionaires' surtax, they may find out too late that even more of Connecticut’s top taxpayers have packed up and established residency in Florida.