CHAPTER 242a
CONNECTICUT TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY BOARD

As used in sections 13b-57d to 13b-57g, inclusive:
(1) "Board" means the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board;
(2) "Department" means the Department of Transportation;
(3) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Transportation;
(4) "Strategy" means a twenty-year strategic plan for transportation in this state and any updates of or other revisions to such plan;
(5) "TIA corridor plan" means a twenty-year strategic plan for transportation in a corridor and any updates or other revisions to such plan;
(6) "Transportation project" means any planning, capital or operating project with regard to transportation undertaken by the state, provided nothing contained in sections 13b-57d to 13b-57g, inclusive, shall be deemed to authorize the board to undertake any project other than strategic planning;
(7) "Local planning agency" means a metropolitan planning organization, as provided in 23 USC 134, a regional planning agency, as provided in section 8-31a, a regional council of elected officials, as defined in subsection (b) of section 4-124i or a council, as defined in subsection (f) of section 4-124c;
(8) "TIA" means transportation investment area;
(9) "Coastal corridor" and "coastal corridor TIA" means the following towns and the roads, highways, bridges, waterways, ports and airports in such towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bethel, Bethlehem, Branford, Bridgeport, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Cheshire, Danbury, Darien, Derby, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, Middlebury, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Haven, New Milford, Newtown, North Branford, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Oxford, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Seymour, Shelton, Sherman, Southbury, Stamford, Stratford, Thomaston, Trumbull, Wallingford, Waterbury, Watertown, West Haven, Weston, Westport, Wilton, Wolcott, Woodbridge and Woodbury;
(10) "I-84 corridor" and "I-84 TIA" means the following towns and the roads, highways, bridges, waterways, ports and airports in such towns: Andover, Ansonia, Avon, Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bridgewater, Bristol, Brookfield, Burlington, Canaan, Canton, Cheshire, Colebrook, Cornwall, Danbury, Derby, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Goshen, Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Harwinton, Hebron, Kent, Litchfield, Manchester, Marlborough, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Oxford, Plainville, Plymouth, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salisbury, Seymour, Sharon, Shelton, Sherman, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southbury, Southington, Stafford, Suffield, Thomaston, Tolland, Torrington, Union, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Winchester, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Wolcott and Woodbury;
(11) "I-91 corridor" and "I-91 TIA" means the following towns and the roads, highways, bridges, waterways, ports and airports in such towns: Andover, Avon, Berlin, Bethany, Bloomfield, Bolton, Branford, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Hartford, East Haven, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hartford, Hebron, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Manchester, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, New Britain, New Haven, Newington, North Branford, North Haven, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Orange, Plainville, Plymouth, Portland, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, Wallingford, West Hartford, West Haven, Westbrook, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Woodbridge;
(12) "I-395 corridor" and "I-395 TIA" means the following towns and the roads, highways, bridges, waterways, ports and airports in such towns: Ashford, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, East Lyme, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Mansfield, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Scotland, Sprague, Stafford, Sterling, Stonington, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Waterford, Willington, Windham and Woodstock;
(13) "Southeast corridor" and "Southeast corridor TIA" means the following towns and the roads, highways, bridges, waterways, ports and airports in such towns: Bozrah, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Lyme, Essex, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Killingworth, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington, Voluntown, Waterford and Westbrook; and
(14) "Modal" means a mode of transportation, and "multimodal" means two or more modes of transportation.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5, S. 1, 18.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5 effective July 2, 2001.

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(a) There is created the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board, the members of which shall be appointed as follows:
(1) Five members from the private sector who have expertise in transportation, business, finance or law as follows: (A) The Governor shall appoint one member, who shall be the chairperson, and whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005, (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2004, (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, (D) the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, and (E) the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2002;
(2) One member from each TIA, for which position the chairpersons of the board of the local planning agencies in such TIA, after consulting with the participants in such TIA, shall nominate, for consideration by the appointing authority, three individuals who live in such TIA and who have significant experience in and knowledge of local, regional and state governmental processes, including at least one chief elected official in a town in such TIA, and who shall be appointed as follows: (A) The chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation shall appoint one member from the southeast corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2002, (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member from the I-91 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2003, (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from the coastal corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2004, (D) the majority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member from the I-395 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005, and (E) the majority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from the I-84 corridor TIA, whose first term shall expire on June 30, 2005;
(3) The Commissioners of Transportation, Environmental Protection, Economic and Community Development and Public Safety, and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management; and
(b) Upon the expiration of the term of a member of the board who is appointed as provided in subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this section, each subsequent appointee to the board shall serve for a term of four years. No person shall serve as a member of the board for more than two consecutive terms. A vacancy in the position of an appointed board member shall be filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the term.
(c) The board may create subcommittees it deems appropriate and appoint the members of such subcommittees from among its members. Ten members of the board shall be present to constitute a quorum.
(d) The members of the board shall not be compensated for their service as members of the board.
(e) The board may issue guidelines for coordination and organization to the TIAs. These guidelines shall not constitute regulations, as defined in subdivision (13) of section 4-166.
(f) The staff of the Department of Transportation, the Office of Policy and Management and the Department of Economic and Community Development shall provide staff assistance to the board. Within available appropriations, the board may hire consultants with approval by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and such consultants shall be procured through the Department of Transportation.
(g) The Transportation Strategy Board is a public agency, as defined in section 1- 200, for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, and is a quasi-public agency, as defined in section 1-79, for purposes of chapter 10.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5, S. 2, 18.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5 effective July 2, 2001.

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(a) There are created the following transportation investment areas: The coastal corridor TIA, I-84 corridor TIA, I-91 corridor TIA, I-395 corridor TIA and the southeast corridor TIA.
(b) The local planning agencies in each TIA shall select the participants in the TIA, including, but not limited to, businesses, labor unions, trade associations, environmental interest groups and other interest groups whose participation the local planning agency believes would be valuable to the TIA in the development of a transportation plan for the TIA.
(c) The local planning agencies in each TIA shall determine the processes used by such TIA in carrying out its responsibilities under sections 13b-57d to 13b-57g, inclusive. For the purposes of carrying out such responsibilities, each TIA shall report to the chief executive officers of such local planning agencies. Upon request of the local planning agencies, the board shall assist such agencies.
(d) On or before November 15, 2001, the participants in each TIA shall prepare an initial TIA corridor plan and deliver such plan to the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board, established pursuant to section 13b-57e. Such participants shall deliver full TIA corridor plans biennially thereafter, beginning on November 15, 2002. The absence of a TIA corridor plan submitted by any TIA shall not prohibit said board from proposing a strategy as required by section 13b-57g.
(e) On or before August 1, 2001, the chief executive officers of the local planning agencies in each TIA shall issue notice of an organizational meeting of the participants in the TIA to commence the process of creating a transportation plan for such TIA and to make recommendations for nominations of the board member from such TIA, as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 2 of subsection (a) of section 13b-57e.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5, S. 3, 18.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5 effective July 2, 2001.

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(a) Not later than January 15, 2002, the board shall propose to the General Assembly an initial transportation strategy.
(b) In developing the strategy and the revisions, the board shall take into account: (1) The strategic concerns associated with the movement of people and goods; (2) the technological options and multimodal options, including, but not limited to, transportation by rail, road, air or water, available to address such concerns; (3) the relationship of such concerns and options to sustainable economic growth, environmental quality, urban development, open space, open space preservation, access to employment by residents of the state and public safety; (4) that transportation is a cornerstone of the state's economic vitality and overall quality of life and therefore inextricably linked to other key policies that deal with the state's future including, but not limited to, land use planning, environmental quality, urban vitality and access to quality jobs and services for the state's residents; (5) the connectivity of the state to the northeast, continental and international economies and that the mobility of people and goods within the state are critical to vibrant and sustainable economic growth; (6) that the benefits of leveraging existing transportation assets and infrastructure, especially in urban centers, and the reduction of automobile-oriented demands, are highly desirable; (7) the integration of brownfields remediation and affordable housing and access to employment that should occur as a result of implementing the strategy; (8) the need to engage local planning agencies and other relevant constituencies in developing the strategy; (9) the need to engage representatives of the state's major transportation assets and of the transportation industry in the strategy to help ensure that the strategy is multimodal and integrated; (10) the benefits of technology to expand capacity, enhance safety, provide information and access funding alternatives; (11) the need to fully explore the sources and methodologies for funding investments in transportation infrastructure, and for annual operating and maintenance costs and the regulations applicable to the expenditure of federal and state funds; (12) that the development of appropriate metrics, methodologies and standards is essential for determining customer needs, for evaluating the return on transportation investments and for the prioritization of specific projects; (13) that the state needs to play a leadership role with the other northeastern states and the eastern Canadian provinces in developing and advocating a transportation strategy for the northeast region of the continent; (14) that the analyses and decision-making related to transportation initiatives in the strategy needs to be done expeditiously within the existing statutory and regulatory framework and that any amendments to the general statutes or to the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies that are needed to achieve such objectives should be identified; (15) the development, renovation and expansion of Bradley International Airport; (16) the state conservation and development plan, established pursuant to section 16a-24; and (17) that the role, including the role of financial incentives, of private sector companies, public agencies and institutions needs to be clearly defined with respect to (A) encouraging and supporting employees to use public transportation, (B) providing employees with appropriate alternatives to the locations at which and during the times they perform their work, including, but not limited to, flexible working hours and telecommuting, (C) developing an effective means for delivering goods within and through the state, and (D) encouraging different sectors to participate with the state in specific initiatives.
(c) The board shall design the strategy to achieve the following results:
(1) Public benefits that consist of (A) stimulating sustainable economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the state, and (B) developing and continuously upgrading analytical tools to demonstrate the link between transportation and the public benefits;
(2) Ease of mobility of people and goods within the state and the TIAs, that consists of (A) reducing traffic congestion, (B) enabling inter-corridor movement within the state, and (C) enabling access to employment opportunities and essential services;
(3) Connectivity in access to the regional, national and global economies, that consists of (A) improving access (i) to surrounding states, consisting of the Interstate 95 corridor to New York, the Connecticut River Valley and Interstate 91 corridor to Springfield, Massachusetts and southeastern Connecticut to Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, and (ii) to the national and global economies; and (B) expanding modal choices for passenger and freight, consisting of (i) developing an airport system that stimulates growth, (ii) linking the state to international rail grids, (iii) developing water- borne alternatives, and (iv) assuring workable freight access to the ports of New York and New Jersey and the corridor related to the North American Free Trade Agreement; and
(4) Safety and security that consists of (A) adequately maintaining infrastructure and equipment, and (B) enforcing safe operations and use of the transportation systems by customers and operators.
(d) In designing the strategy to achieve the results provided in subsection (c) of this section, the board shall evaluate specific tactics and approaches in the strategy by using the following criteria:
(1) Focusing on people who use transportation systems by (A) involving such people directly in planning and through ongoing market research, (B) creating a seamless interface with state, regional, national and global systems, and (C) developing transportation systems that operate as if they had intelligence, including, but not limited to, systems that provide real-time information to their users;
(2) Oriented to economic growth by (A) responsiveness to general business needs, (B) responsiveness to specific industry cluster needs, and (C) support for state urban development strategies;
(3) Being environmentally responsible by (A) improving air quality, (B) leveraging existing assets to minimize impact on wetlands and open space by directing development to the areas of the state that have the infrastructure to support the development, and (C) reducing energy consumption;
(4) Encouraging and enabling intermodal links and usage wherever possible, and managing the transportation systems from a multimodal perspective; and
(5) Involving the TIAs by (A) building upon natural economic and service areas, (B) enhancing connectivity of all population centers in the state, and (C) implementing strategic priorities through TIAs.
(e) The board shall include in the strategy the criteria by which the board, the commissioner and the department will evaluate and prioritize existing and proposed transportation projects.
(f) The board shall identify in the strategy the tools and measures by which it intends to assess transportation system performance and analyze the value of projects proposed to implement the strategy, including their overall value to the state as a public investment.
(g) The board shall include in the strategy (1) a projection of the required capital investments and operating costs over the next succeeding ten years and the recommended sources of such funds, (2) a distinction between transportation costs for operations and maintenance and transportation investments which shall (A) be based on the strategy and evaluated against strategic goals, (B) provide additional benefits that are tangible and attainable, (C) include a range of transportation uses including, but not limited to, transit, airways, highways, waterways and freight, to gain public support, (D) reach as many people as possible throughout the entire community in each TIA, and (E) respond to widely perceived needs.
(h) The board shall review the TIA corridor plan prepared by each TIA, as provided in section 13b-57f, and may incorporate all or parts of such plans in the strategy.
(i) In developing and revising the strategy, the board may: (1) Conduct public hearings; (2) consult and cooperate with officials and representatives of the federal government, neighboring states, interstate commissions and authorities, local agencies and authorities, interested corporations and other organizations concerning problems affecting transportation in the state; (3) request and receive from any agency or other unit of the government, of the state or of any political subdivision of the state, or from any public authority, such assistance and data as may be necessary to enable the board to carry out the board's responsibilities under this section; and (4) to the extent the board may deem appropriate, make use of, and incorporate in the strategy, any existing long- range transportation plan, survey or report developed by any public or private agency or person.
(j) Copies of the strategy and revisions to the strategy shall be kept on file as a public record in the department.
(k) Not later than January 15, 2002, the board shall submit an initial strategy and preliminary projections of the cost necessary to implement the strategy over the first ten years to the Governor and the General Assembly in accordance with section 11-4a. Such strategy shall be subject to approval by the General Assembly. On June 30, 2002, and each December thirty-first and June thirtieth thereafter, the board shall submit a status report on the implementation of and any needed revisions to the strategy and the quarterly report provided by the Department of Economic and Community Development, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 32-6k to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation in accordance with section 11-4a. On December 15, 2002, and every two years thereafter, the board shall update or revise the strategy, if necessary, and shall submit a report on implementation of the strategy to the Governor and the General Assembly, as provided in section 11- 4a. All such updates and revisions shall be subject to approval by the General Assembly.
(l) The board shall monitor, for purposes of continued recommendations, the implementation of the strategy by prioritizing transportation projects and the tactics and processes necessary to implement such projects for the purposes of proposed legislative approval.
(m) The board shall annually review the proposed operating and capital budgets of the department as they relate to the implementation of the strategy and shall make recommendations to the commissioner, the Governor and the General Assembly.
(n) The board shall consult with members and appropriate staff of the state congressional delegation and with appropriate representatives of the United States Department of Transportation with respect to federal transportation funding and initiatives.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5, S. 4, 18.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-5 effective July 2, 2001.

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