Our Work in Transportation Committee & Child Tax Payments

transportation
May 31, 2022
Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, but it is also a time to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Yesterday’s parade in Fairfield was a tremendous opportunity to come together as a community and honor the fallen, as well as pay tribute to our Purple Heart recipients. Marching alongside our veterans, parade organizers, and community members is an honor.
 
This week’s legislative update will feature some of the work we did in the Transportation Committee this session. I wrote it from an Amtrak train headed to a conference in Philadelphia last week (see scenes below). As a Transportation Committee member for the entirety of my legislative service, and a representative for a district that relies on the Metro North line, I know how critical the investments in our trains, buses, roads, and bike infrastructure are to our daily living.
This year’s most significant Transportation Committee bill was SB 4, The Connecticut Clean Air Act, passed in conjunction with the Environment Committee. Climate change and sea level rise have already impacted Fairfield, Bridgeport, and other coastal communities and will continue to do so. Asthma rates in our region are higher than the national average - 11.3% of Connecticut’s children have asthma, compared with 9.5% in the nation overall; for adults, the rates are 9.2% for the state versus 7.7% nationwide - according to the Connecticut Health Foundation. Additionally, asthma-related visits to hospital emergency departments are disproportionately high for Connecticut’s black and Latino residents, and for its Medicaid recipients. There are real costs both to individuals and our municipal and state governments.
During debate, I spoke on the floor about increased investments into the CHEAPR program, which expands the rebate opportunity for electric vehicles, and for the first time, electric bicycles. Recently, I saw a dad on Fairfield Woods Rd with two children safely strapped into bike seats behind him. He was using an electric cargo bike. E-bikes are increasingly becoming an affordable transportation option for those who cannot afford cars. The program will now allow municipalities, non-profits, and businesses to take advantage of an incentive to electrify their fleets.
 
A lesser known provision of the bill created a matching grant program to support municipalities in the modernization of their traffic signals, improving the flow of traffic and reducing idling. A constituent sent me this interesting article earlier this year, talking about the benefits Pittsburgh experienced when implementing some of this new technology. Click the button below to read the article.
Smart Traffic Lights
 
 
Dirt Bikes & ATVs

The original version of

HB 5422 addressed the ATVs and dirt bikes that are traveling on Post Rd in Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, and other communities. The bill would have allowed the use of noise cameras, collecting license plate and other data. This would have given the police department the tools needed to impose a $90 fine to those who are breaking the law and creating safety concerns.

Some have said that the police accountability bill passed by the legislature curtailed the police department’s ability to chase such vehicles. Vehicle chase policy is determined by the Connecticut Police Officer Standard Training Council (POST).

The version of the bill that did pass allows municipalities to regulate the operation and use of external speakers on motor vehicles, including fines and seizure. Another bill that passed was SB 333 which requires the DMV to develop an implementation plan for decibel level testing.
 
HB 5255, An Act Concerning Recommendations By The Department Of Transportation And Various Revisions To The Transportation Statutes

Each year we pass a broad-based bill that contains several provisions to help improve safety and reliability of transportation in Connecticut. This year we:
  • Allowed DOT to post reduced speed limits during severe weather events and other emergencies.
  • Sped up installations of wrong way signs on exits that are prone to wrong way accidents.
  • Required DOT to develop a mobile app to improve transit district service information and trip planning services.
  • Allowed the Red Cross to transport blood using the HOV lane.
 
Child Tax Payments
Applications for the Child Tax Payments will open TOMORROW, June 1!
 
Any Connecticut resident who claimed at least one dependent child under the age of 18 on their 2021 federal income tax return may be eligible to receive a maximum payment of $250 per child (for up to three children) with the following income guidelines (higher incomes may be eligible for a reduced rebate):
Anyone who is interested in seeking a payment must apply to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services with applications closing on July 31, 2022 - recipients will receive funds beginning in late August.
Information on the 2022 CT Child Tax Payments
The Department of Revenue Services is in the process of reaching out to eligible households and I encourage you to share this information with any parents that may qualify.