Sen. Mayer Calls I-684 Toll Proposal "Inappropriate"

Originally published in LoHud.

In what would be one of the nation’s shortest toll roads, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont wants to erect a cashless toll gantry on northbound Interstate 684 in Greenwich, where the highway slices through the western corner of Connecticut for a short 1.4 miles before returning to North Castle.

It’s part of the state’s $300 million toll plan that Lamont, a Greenwich Democrat, unveiled last week to help finance his $21 billion transportation infrastructure plan. The Greenwich tolls would help finance the $13 million rehabilitation of the northbound causeway over the Byram River on northbound Interstate 684. 

State Sen. Shelley Mayer, D-Yonkers, who district includes the interstate, said it was “inappropriate” for Connecticut set up the toll gantries on the Greenwich border, when the New York targets of the tolls will have no say over the public policy decision.

“It’s a very inappropriate way to make policy and make infrastructure investments,” Mayer said. “It’s a New York tax imposed by Connecticut. You can’t just one day make up your mind to impose a tax that has a disproportionate impact on New Yorkers.”