Members of the City Council have met about highway tolls.  The group was requested by Council President Joe Cavo in order to take a stand against the prospect of a gantry system coming to I-84. There's been no movement since the legislature adjourned in June about how to pay for long term infrastructure improvements. 

The bipartisan members of the City Council Ad Hoc Committee expressed opposition to tolls and recommended the full City Council vote in favor of the resolution.

Public Works Director Antonio Iadarola says there will be some residual traffic on local roads from drivers looking to bypass the tolls.  He says positioning gantries where the exits are, is going to be critical.  He hopes a study will best position them to lessen the impact to local roads. 

Planning Director Sharon Calitro expressed concern at Tuesday's meeting about the impact of tolls on neighborhoods and businesses.

Danbury state Representative David Arconti attended the meeting.  He was asked about federal regulations preventing tolls from being placed on the borders.  Arconti told the committee that he believes a gantry can't be placed approximately 12 or 16 miles from the state border.  In response to a question about if the regulation was circumvented by having tolls all along a roadway, Arconti said he was unsure.

Councilman Vinny DeGillio said Danbury hasn't had a voice in the conversation, but Arconti disagreed.

The lobbyist hired by the City suggested that the committee, in addition to or in place of this resolution, offer up solutions and be a bigger part of the conversation.  Cavo responded that there are many solutions, including lawmakers not taking money out of the Special Transportation Fund.  He says 62-cents per gallon of gasoline and motor vehicle registration fees should be enough.