Sec. 13b-4. Powers and duties of commissioner. The commissioner shall have
the following general powers, duties and responsibilities:
(1) To coordinate and develop comprehensive, integrated transportation policy and
planning to include a long-range master plan of transportation for the state;
(2) To coordinate and assist in the development and operation of a modern, safe,
efficient and energy-conserving system of highway, mass transit, marine and aviation
facilities and services;
(3) To promote the coordinated and efficient use of all available and future modes
of transportation;
(4) To study commuter and urban travel and in cooperation with federal, regional
and local agencies and persons to formulate and implement plans and programs to improve such travel;
(5) To study means of providing facilities for parking motor vehicles so as to encourage travel by the combination of motor vehicle and other modes of transportation and
in cooperation with federal, regional and local agencies and persons to formulate and
implement plans and programs for this purpose;
(6) To study means of improving transportation safety and to formulate and implement plans and programs and adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, for this
purpose;
(7) To study the operations of existing airports, to determine the need for changes
in such airports and the need for future airports, and to formulate and implement plans
and programs to improve aviation facilities and services;
(8) To cooperate with federal, state, interstate and local agencies, organizations and
persons performing activities relating to transportation;
(9) To exercise and perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be conferred under this chapter and title 13a or as may otherwise be conferred by law;
(10) To prepare a plan setting forth a recommendation for a restructured system of
regional transit districts within the state. Said plan shall be based on: (A) Established
patterns of commuter traffic within the state; (B) federal requirements for receiving aid
under the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, and (C) present planning regions.
On or before February 1, 1978, the commissioner shall present such plan to the General
Assembly;
(11) To prepare pertinent reports, including but not limited to, detailed reports of
energy use analysis by mode of transportation;
(12) To provide for the planning and construction of any capital improvements and
the remodeling, alteration, repair or enlargement of any real asset that may be required
for the development and operation of a safe, efficient system of highway, mass transit,
marine and aviation transportation, provided (A) the acquisition, other than by condemnation, or the sale or lease, of any property that is used for such purposes shall be subject
to the review and approval of the State Properties Review Board in accordance with
the provisions of subsection (f) of section 4b-3, and (B) any contract for the planning,
construction, remodeling, alteration, repair or enlargement of any public building which
is estimated to cost more than five hundred thousand dollars shall be advertised and
awarded in accordance with section 13b-20n; and
(13) To participate, subject to the availability of funds, in transit-oriented development projects at or near transit facilities.
(1969, P.A. 768, S. 4; P.A. 77-33, S. 2; 77-614, S. 550, 610; P.A. 81-421, S. 3, 9; P.A. 82-446, S. 3, 4; P.A. 83-587, S.
27, 96; P.A. 91-124, S. 3; P.A. 03-115, S. 48; 03-215, S. 13; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7, S. 94.)
History: P.A. 77-33 added new Subsec. (j) providing for preparation of plan for restructured regional transit districts
to be presented by February 1, 1978; P.A. 77-614 added new Subsec. (k) providing for preparation of reports, substituted
"integrated" for "balanced" in Subsec. (a), and added "energy conserving" as a qualification in Subsec. (b), effective
January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-421 expanded the powers of the commissioner to include the planning and construction of capital
improvements related to highway, mass transit, marine and aviation transportation while maintaining the role of the state
properties review board; P.A. 82-446 clarified the role of the state properties review board in approving contracts with
architects or engineers; P.A. 83-587 made a technical amendment, restoring language inadvertently dropped in the printing
of the statutes; P.A. 91-124 in Subdiv. (12) deleted the requirement that the properties review board approve selection of
and contract with any architect or engineer; P.A. 03-115 amended Subdivs. (6), (10) and (11) to make technical changes;
P.A. 03-215 amended Subdiv. (12) to designate existing proviso as Subpara. (A) and add Subpara. (B) re the advertisement
and award of public building contracts valued over $500,000, effective October 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-7 added
Subdiv. (13) re transit-oriented development projects, effective November 2, 2007.
See chapter 244 (Sec. 13b-80 et seq.) re motor buses.
See chapter 244b (Sec. 13b-101 et seq.) re motor vehicles in livery service.
See chapter 245 (Sec. 13b-200 et seq.) re railroads and railways.
See chapter 245b (Sec. 13b-324 et seq.) re railroad operations.
See Secs. 13b-79kk, 13b-79ll re transit-oriented development projects.
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Sec. 13b-4d. Commissioner's power to declare a state of emergency. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Transportation may declare a state of emergency and may employ, in any manner, such assistance
as he may require to restore any railroad owned by the state or any of its subdivisions or
the facilities, equipment or service of such railroad, or any transit system or its facilities,
equipment or service, or any airport when: (1) A railroad system owned by the state or
any of its subdivisions or any of the facilities or equipment of such railroad system is
deemed by the commissioner to be in an unsafe condition or when there is an interruption
of essential railroad services, whether or not such system or any of its facilities or equipment is physically damaged; (2) a transit facility owned by the state or any of its subdivisions or the equipment of such facility is damaged as a result of a natural disaster or
incurs substantial casualty loss which results in what is deemed by the commissioner
to be an unsafe condition or when there is an interruption of essential transit services;
or (3) an airport owned or operated by the state or any of its subdivisions or the equipment
of such airport is damaged as a result of a natural disaster or incurs substantial casualty
loss which results in what is deemed by the commissioner to be an unsafe condition or
when there is an interruption of essential transit services.
(b) When a privately-owned railroad system, its facility or equipment is damaged
as a result of a natural disaster or incurs substantial casualty loss which results in an
unsafe condition or the interruption of essential railroad service, the railroad company
may request the commissioner to declare a state of emergency, and said commissioner
may comply with such request and may provide assistance to such railroad company in
any manner he deems necessary to restore said railroad system, facility, equipment or
service.
(P.A. 94-188, S. 23, 30; P.A. 07-232, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 94-188, Sec. 23, effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 07-232 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re declaration of state of emergency with respect to airports, effective July 11, 2007.
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Sec. 13b-23a. Leasing of naming rights of transit stations and transit-owned
property. The Commissioner of Transportation shall develop procedures, in accordance
with the general statutes, for the leasing of naming rights of transit stations and other
transit-owned property to private corporations and organizations. The commissioner
shall establish criteria for the leasing of such naming rights. Such criteria shall be submitted to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to transportation, not later than January 30, 2008, and, if approved by
said committee, such approval shall not be later than the close of the 2008 session of
the General Assembly.
(P.A. 07-232, S. 9.)
History: P.A. 07-232 effective July 1, 2007.
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Sec. 13b-38c. Loans for the acquisition of vanpool vehicles. The Commissioner
of Transportation is authorized to loan funds for the purpose of financing the acquisition
of vanpool vehicles, as defined in subdivision (94) of section 14-1, to any person, firm
or organization.
(P.A. 07-232, S. 44.)
History: P.A. 07-232 effective July 1, 2007.
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Sec. 13b-50a. Initiatives for the preservation of airports. The following initiatives shall be established to preserve Connecticut's licensed private owned, public used
airports which have a paved runway and a minimum of five thousand operations per
year: (1) The state shall have the right of first refusal to purchase, via fair market value
and state property acquisition procedures, an airport, if that airport is threatened with
sale or closure, for the express purpose in preserving the airport; (2) the Commissioner
of Transportation may acquire the development rights, based on fair market value for
such rights of such airports, provided the airport remains a public airport; (3) the state
shall fund capital improvements to private airports, in which case the state shall participate in ninety per cent of the eligible costs and the balance by the sponsor, with budget
and priorities to be determined by the Department of Transportation, and engineering
in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circulars; and (4) the
establishment of a new airport zoning category for the airport's imaginary surfaces
as defined by Federal Aviation Regulations. Development within these surfaces shall
require notices for proposed construction and a federal determination of obstructions.
Construction of obstructions deemed hazardous to navigation shall not be allowed.
(P.A. 07-232, S. 50.)
History: P.A. 07-232 effective July 1, 2007.
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