TOWN AID GRANTS FOR ROADS
AND
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2013 TO JUNE 30, 2014
PREPARED BY THE
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
BUREAU OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
IN COOPERATION WITH
THE BUREAU OF ENGINEERING
AND HIGHWAY OPERATIONS
AND
THE BUREAU OF PLANNING
OFFICE OF INVENTORY & FORECASTING
TOWN AID ROAD PROGRAM
- Historically, the Town Aid Road (TAR) Grant program has been funded with appropriations from the Special Transportation Fund, at a total of $30,000,000 annually in recent years.
- Under Public Act 13-239, Sec. 40(a)(10) and 46(a)(10), $60,000,000 of Special Tax Obligation bonds were authorized for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, respectively, for TAR Grants.
- Under the TAR program, grant payments are made to the 169 towns and 5 boroughs, with no requirement for a local match.
- The annual allocation is split into two payments, with payments traditionally being issued in July and January. As the TAR program is now bonded, payments cannot be processed until the bond funds are allocated by the Bond Commission, which typically does not happen until the end of July.
- Distribution and use of TAR grant funds is governed by Section 13a-175a through 13a-175e, and 13a-175i of the Connecticut General Statutes. The grant amount allocated to each town is based on several calculations made in accordance with the statutes. Factors include the town population, miles of improved roads, and miles of unimproved roads.
- Under Section 13a-175a, towns and boroughs may use these grants for various purposes, including the construction, reconstruction, improvement or maintenance of highways, sections of highways, bridges or structures incidental to highways and bridges or the improvement thereof, including the plowing of snow, the sanding of icy pavements, the trimming and removal of trees, the installation, replacement and maintenance of traffic signs, signals and markings, and for traffic control and vehicular safety programs, traffic and parking planning and administration, and other purposes and programs related to highways, traffic and parking, and for the purposes of providing and operating essential public transportation services and related facilities.
- New for FY2014: Section 96 of PA 13-247 added the following language which allows OPM to waive the requirement for a municipality to use Town Aid Road funds for the purposes detailed in Section 13a-175a:
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in the secretary's discretion, may approve the use of funds by a town for purposes other than those enumerated in said subsection (a).
- The municipalities make all decisions regarding the improvements to be undertaken with their grant funds, with the specific projects being selected by the municipalities, not the Department.
This information is provided within the following
(pdf 136kb)