Tolls on the Interstates (90, 294, etc)

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I think every tollway I've ever driven on has been an interstate, from Ilinois to Indiana to Ohio to Pennsylvania to New York to New Jersey to Massachusetts. The only toll roads I've driven on that weren't Interstates were bridges (like the Chicago Skyway or Tri-Borough Bridge for instance). Or tunnels.

The only tollway in Georgia is a state highway. GA 400.

[Basekamp]

It's all about maintenance. Technically, if you get in a wreck because of a pothole on a toll road you or your insurance company can sue the pants off the state. If it wasn't a toll road than there is a clear assumed risk,a nd no business transaction base on which to sue. Speaking of which, there area lot of potholes on the toll roads lately...

Originally Posted by hank0604

Ok, so this has been bothering me for quite a while now, so I figure I'll ask for some input. How is it legal for the state to charge tolls on a highway that was built and paid for by federal funds?

I had never seen this before, and I have done a lot of driving all over the country. Sure, Texas had a lot of toll roads, but they were purpose built toll roads. Not existing roads that the state just dropped a tollbooth onto.

[hank0604]

I guess I just haven't done enough driving in the northern states. Thanks for the input.

[SJaye]

Most of Florida's tollways are not interstates, and I believe Oklahoma has a lot of both interstate and non-interstate tollways. Tolls represent one way in which road repairs are paid for, with the other main way being gas tax. States like Wisconsin have higher gas taxes (if you travel through Illinois outside of Chicago extensively, you know that Illinois statewide definitely has lower gas prices than Wisconsin), and therefore higher gas prices, but no tolls. IL/IN/OH have tolls but lower gas prices. Iowa has some weird ethanol subsidy process that makes its' gas prices cheaper without tolls.

By the way, I-355 was not a toll road RIGHT from the start. Because it opened on Christmas day (I believe 1988), they did not start collecting tolls until the following day- December 26th as a gesture of goodwill for the holiday.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by skipcromer

The only tollway in Georgia is a state highway. GA 400.

Georgia wasn't on my list...

[Superion2K9]

I will check on the FHWA website, but there's a pilot program to add tolls to existing interstates in 4 states: Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia, and one more state I can't remember right now. PA wanted to toll I-80 across the entire state (something I opposed big time. There would be no way to get to the east coast except by tollways). The effort was defeated by USDOT and the FHWA, because PA would not use the money for I-80, but for pork projects in Philly and other places.

In Michigan where I from, there are no toll roads, except the Big Mac bridge and connections to Canada. I think tollways are ok if used responsibly. There are some highway departments that cannot resist the dough and start using tolls for there own pork projects (such as WVA).

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Georgia wasn't on my list...

You stated the only toll roads you drove on that werent interstates were bridges. I was just throwing it out there that GA 400 is neither an interstate nor a bridge.

[Avengerfire]

Speaking of tolls the hoosiers out there are going to have to pay up. They are responsible for (1.5 millions) 21% of toll violations and outstanding charges. I do admit the Illinois Toll Authority has their head up their asses though.

Indiana motorists facing hefty bills for missed Illinois tolls - chicagotribune.com