To the editor:

Whether or not there will be a fall session for the House of Representatives, the issue of bridge tolls will probably be close to the top of the agenda when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

It is important to study this issue in great detail, and the legislature is currently awaiting economic impact studies being performed on behalf of the Department of Transportation and the governor’s office. No matter what the studies show, I certainly hope that the governor and DOT do their homework and put forward a proposal that is more complete than what we saw this past spring.

We on Aquidneck Island have gone through this debate before, and I think it is safe to say that we as a community know more about tolls — and their impact on the state’s economy — than any other area of the state. We are also painfully aware, as Rhode Islanders, of the shortcomings in management at the DOT.

Before any discussion of additional revenue for DOT, there should first and foremost be major reforms made at the agency. Explanations should be given for the number of consultants that perform a disproportionate amount of work there compared with other states, as well as their enormous cost.

Additionally, I want to make sure that the bidding and contracting procedures at DOT are thoroughly reviewed. Finally, I want to be ensured that all local transportation projects — ranging from improving Middle Road in Portsmouth to work on Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown remain fully funded in the state’s Transportation Improvement Program. Now is not the time for DOT to play politics with their bridge toll proposal and hold up any projects unless they get certain support.

I look forward to thoroughly reviewing the proposal of the administration with an open mind, but I remain very concerned that many answers have yet to be provided for important questions that all Rhode Islanders have regarding their transportation infrastructure.

Rep. Daniel P. Reilly

R-Dist. 72 (Portsmouth, Middletown)