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Malloy Signs 2016-17 State Budget With Increases In Transportation Spending

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday signed the 2016-17 fiscal year budget, including corresponding implementers, which makes major investments in transportation infrastructure and delivers property tax relief for some middle-class families.

Gov. Dannel Malloy signs the Connecticut budget on Tuesday afternoon.

Gov. Dannel Malloy signs the Connecticut budget on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo Credit: Gov. Dannel Malloy's Office

The budget holds spending growth to 3.9 percent in 2016 and 3.0 percent in the following fiscal year, according to a statement from Malloy's office. The budget will also cap the car tax at 32 mills in 2017 and 29.5 mills in 2018 – providing tax relief for thousands of middle-class Connecticut families.

The budget also funds the bipartisan Second Chance Society initiative launched by Malloy this year. With crime at a more than 40-year low, Connecticut is seeking to make the criminal justice system more fair and end the cycle of crime and poverty.

Working with the General Assembly, Malloy rolled back increases to the data processing and Internet services taxes, while delaying the implementation of the unitary tax until 2016.  Those improvements to the budget were paid for with spending reductions.

"This was a difficult budget with no easy or popular decisions. But listening to many communities across the state, from business to nonprofit to our municipalities, I believe we have a budget that helps deliver prosperity for the future. Working together, we made the difficult choices necessary to put Connecticut on the long-term path to success, while making major investments in transportation as well as providing car and property tax relief," Malloy said. "I want to thank our partners in the General Assembly for their hard work and commitment on these important issues.”

The budget makes the largest investment in transportation infrastructure in Connecticut history, including:

  • This will include a $2.8 billion increase for infrastructure over the next five years, including $1.77 billion for rail, $613 million for highways, $281 million for bridges, $101 million for bicycle and pedestrian trails, and $43 million for bus service.  In total over the next five years, $10 billion will be spent on transportation between this budget, planned capital spending, and federal funds.
  • Projects include fixing the "Mixmaster" on I-84 in Waterbury, as well as the Hartford I-84 Viaduct.  For rail, it will allow Connecticut to complete the Hartford Line running from New Haven to Springfield, and also to increase Metro-North service on the New Haven Line with improvements to all branch lines, including New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury. 
  • It also includes historic, first-of-their-kind investments in local bike and pedestrian improvements throughout the state.

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