Conn. demands meeting with U.S. DOT Transportation Secretary

The state of Connecticut wants a piece of U.S. DOT Secretary Transportation Ray LaHood. The ear will do just fine.

Angered about being passed over for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, Connecticut leaders are demanding a meeting with the transportation czar. The Connecticut DOT sought $330 million in funding, and was one of nine state agencies that were passed over.

“I was outraged when I got the news,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) told the Harford Courant. “We all called the White House. This is unacceptable.”

ConnDOT was planning on using TIGER grants to move forward with the replacement of the Moses Wheeler Bridge on I-95 as well as with the construction of the New Britain-to-Hartford busway and the reconstruction of the I-91 and I-95 interchange in New Haven.

The state will still move forward with those projects, but at the expense of other highway and transit repairs.

When it comes to funding from the Obama administration, Connecticut has not put together an impressive track record. In its pursuit of high-speed rail, the state only received $40 million for its proposed New Haven-to-Springfield line. Many state legislators are blaming ConnDOT for not presenting a strong enough case for the funds, but the agency said it jumped through all of the required hoops.