(a) For the purposes of this section, “transportation project” means any transportation planning or capital project undertaken by the state on or after July 1, 2018, that expands capacity on a limited access highway, transit or railroad system or parking facility or is estimated to cost one hundred fifty million dollars or more, but does not mean any transportation project undertaken by the state on or after July 1, 2018, that the Commissioner of Transportation finds is necessary to maintain the state’s infrastructure in good repair and estimates to cost less than one hundred fifty million dollars.

(b) The Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the Commissioners of Economic and Community Development, Housing and Energy and Environmental Protection, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation and finance, revenue and bonding, shall develop a method to assess each transportation project to determine the impact of such transportation project on economic development, transit-oriented development, housing development, access to employment, the environment, traffic congestion and public safety.

(c) On or before February 1, 2018, the commissioner shall submit, in accordance with section 11-4a, such assessment method to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation. Not later than sixty days after the receipt of such assessment method, said committee shall meet to approve or reject such assessment method and advise the commissioner of said committee’s approval or rejection. If said committee fails to approve or reject such assessment method within sixty days of such receipt, such assessment method shall be deemed approved. Such assessment method shall become effective when approved by an affirmative vote of said committee or deemed approved. In the event that such assessment method is rejected, such assessment method shall be returned to the commissioner for revisions and resubmitted to said committee not later than thirty days after such rejection.

(d) On and after July 1, 2018, the commissioner shall assess each transportation project using the assessment method approved pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The commissioner shall not include a transportation project in the Department of Transportation’s five-year transportation capital plan for the state unless the assessment of such transportation project is completed.

(e) The commissioner shall submit the assessment of each transportation project to the Transportation Policy Advisory Council established pursuant to section 13b-13b and post such assessments on the Department of Transportation’s Internet web site.

(f) The Department of Transportation shall not submit a request for appropriations or authorization of bonds for a transportation project to the General Assembly unless the commissioner has submitted the assessment of such transportation project pursuant to subsection (e) of this section.

(g) On or before January 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation and finance, revenue and bonding, on the assessments of transportation projects completed in the previous calendar year.

(P.A. 17-192, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 58.)

History: P.A. 17-192 effective July 11, 2017; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining “transportation project” and amended Subsec. (f) by deleting provision that section is not applicable to a transportation project necessary to maintain state’s transportation infrastructure, does not add capacity to limited access highway, transit or railroad system or parking facility and is estimated to cost less than $150,000,000, effective October 31, 2017.