Major Battle brewing over whether or not toll Skip Spence Bridge (Cincinnati: real estate, 2014)

[WILWRadio]

Looks like Corporate America wants it while state and local legislators do not. And certainly most small business owners in Covington don't want it tolled either. Some interesting comments by local people follow the article.

http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB...t-Spence-tolls

[hensleya1]

Originally Posted by WILWRadio

Looks like Corporate America wants it while state and local legislators do not. And certainly most small business owners in Covington don't want it tolled either. Some interesting comments by local people follow the article.

http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB...t-Spence-tolls

The federal highway trust fund wouldn't run out of money if the government stop siphoning off gasoline taxes for other projects.

Of the 18 cents a gallon we pay in federal gas taxes, 2.5 cents goes to deficit reduction and another 2.5 cents goes to a "Mass Transit Account", subsidizing projects other than roads. So, in other words, 5 cents - or about a third of the gasoline taxes - don't go to pay for road construction or maintenance. Coincidentally, that's about how much of a shortfall the highway trust fund has - a third.

***

The Big Mac Bridge is calling my name if they toll the Brent Spence's replacement. Sticking the Cincinnati-NKY region with a bill that should be shouldered by the federal government is not the way to go, since the road serves a LOT of thru traffic. If they rerouted all thru traffic around 275 you would solve the traffic problems overnight, because the bridge is "functionally obsolete", not structurally in danger or anything.

[austiNati]

Why don't they just build a tunnel, for crying out loud. They're already gonna spend billions on this s***. At least put it underground, so that it doesnt kill off anymore prime real estate.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by austiNati

Why don't they just build a tunnel, for crying out loud. They're already gonna spend billions on this s***. At least put it underground, so that it doesnt kill off anymore prime real estate.

Drilling a tunnel under the river? Just how does this super expensive project solve anything? How many lanes do you project this tunnel support? A two lane tunnel - maybe. A tunnel to support even the current traffic of the Brent Spence - hardly. A tunnel to support the projected traffic of the Brent Spence, you are out there in la-la land cost-wise.

And also tunnels with this capacity also need approaches and exits on both sides of the river. So there is little reduction in cost there.

[jlawrence01]

It would be stupid to toll it as there are so many other bridges over the river. Do you want truck traffic to detour onto city streets?

Actually, according to many of my trucker friends hauling out of Chicago, most make a conscious effort to avoid Cincinnati, preferring to head south through Louisville. That translates to less road tax for Ohio.

[Briolat21]

The answer with tolls is that you toll everywhere, so there's no way to avoid it.

Pennsylvania used to primarily have tolls around Philly, but they've crept in around Pittsburgh as well.

Personally, I'd still take the Brent Spence (even with a toll) if it were the most convenient way for me to get where I was going. If not, I'd take another bridge.

The toll will likely be fairly reasonable.

More concerned with where they'd put the toll gates/etc in order to keep traffic flowing. (hardly help traffic in this region to have a huge stop on either side of the bridge).

[American Luxury]

Originally Posted by Briolat21

The answer with tolls is that you toll everywhere, so there's no way to avoid it.

Pennsylvania used to primarily have tolls around Philly, but they've crept in around Pittsburgh as well.

Personally, I'd still take the Brent Spence (even with a toll) if it were the most convenient way for me to get where I was going. If not, I'd take another bridge.

The toll will likely be fairly reasonable.

More concerned with where they'd put the toll gates/etc in order to keep traffic flowing. (hardly help traffic in this region to have a huge stop on either side of the bridge).

It would be a camera that takes a picture of your license plate and sends you a bill later.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by American Luxury

It would be a camera that takes a picture of your license plate and sends you a bill later.

Sounds the same as a speed camera. I thought these were illegal. OK, I get it, ifyou are just passing through they can bill you. However, if ypu are violating the law and speeding they cannot. Makes sense to me.

[woxyroxme]

Toll booths are a bad idea, very bad idea. No cameras, there would be EZ Pass lanes and cash lanes, traffic backups as you approach the booth and a drag race after you pass through. The local planners should consider driving from the Mass Pike to I-495 or I-95 during rush hour for a fact finding mission before instituting a toll. Of course Boston is bigger than Cincinnati and the drivers are a lot crazier there.

[Misfit Toy]

I don't care for the idea of tolls, but hey, automobile Nirvana ain't cheap. Especially when the powers that be opted to give corporations bailouts several years ago instead of investing in infrastructure like road improvements.