[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by Fuele

The problem is that Mass transit constantly loses money, and it can't serve everyone A gas tax is immediate can be adjusted, and does not need several hundred million dollars invested.

Anytime the Government tries to build something , the cost is almost always much higher than the original projection.

A very good friend of mine just retired after 40 years on Metro North. You don't want to know what I have learned from him. He was not a Coach Cleaner .

There's the whole thing about how value capture works for mass transit in the US compared to abroad. Most European countries just take it as an economic multiplier so invest in it even if fares do not fully cover operations and expansion. Meanwhile, East Asian cities often run their systems at a profit, because they usually have a direct value capture with real estate directly attached to key stations. I'm all for mass transit being operated more efficiently (different payment systems, more automation, electrification, and better service to get more people using it to better amortize a lot of the larger fixed costs). I also don't think mass transit can completely replace cars--it's just that it can probably play a much larger role than it does now.

Yea, you're right, capital costs for public ventures or paying private firms for public ventures in the US are inflated compared to similar ventures in other developed countries. That is a massive issue. I would love for there to be more focus on that, but that isn't the same as eschewing things on the revenue side. Mind you, I have no issue with the idea of increasing the gas tax, but where I butted in was on the probability of steadily decreasing revenues from gas taxes due to EV adoption. A higher gas tax is fine by me, but doing so would actually also push EV adoption and at some point, CT's going to need to make up for that shortfall.

[Fuele]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

There's the whole thing about how value capture works for mass transit in the US compared to abroad. Most European countries just take it as an economic multiplier so invest in it even if fares do not fully cover operations and expansion. Meanwhile, East Asian cities often run their systems at a profit, because they usually have a direct value capture with real estate directly attached to key stations. I'm all for mass transit being operated more efficiently (different payment systems, more automation, electrification, and better service to get more people using it to better amortize a lot of the larger fixed costs). I also don't think mass transit can completely replace cars--it's just that it can probably play a much larger role than it does now.

Yea, you're right, capital costs for public ventures or paying private firms for public ventures in the US are inflated compared to similar ventures in other developed countries. That is a massive issue. I would love for there to be more focus on that, but that isn't the same as eschewing things on the revenue side. Mind you, I have no issue with the idea of increasing the gas tax, but where I butted in was on the probability of steadily decreasing revenues from gas taxes due to EV adoption. A higher gas tax is fine by me, but doing so would actually also push EV adoption and at some point, CT's going to need to make up for that shortfall.

I can agree with what you said. i think there is a major difference between rail in Europe and parts of Asia in that here we use the rail lines more for freight. Much much cheaper to move goods by rail.

I prefer raising the gas tax rather building tolls.

[Fuele]

Originally Posted by JayCT

So you want Connecticut taxpayers to continue paying entirely for our highways and letting out of state drivers use our roads for free? Are you even a Connecticut resident? Do you buy gas here? Do you really want to pay an additional 10 to 25 cents a gallon or more? I don’t and I doubt many taxpayers do either.

Also the state does not do these surveys every day and they don’t do them just at the state borders. Jay

Yes , and I hope they stay and spend some money in the area businesses. I can drive from Union CT to PA with only the Newburgh Bridge Toll to pay. It works both ways.

I live in CT and the other day I paid $ 2.33 a gallon using my stop and shop discounts. I fill up around every two weeks . I would be willing pay more in gas taxes than have tolls put in. No question about it.


If the surveys aren't done 24/7 / 365 the information is suspect.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Fuele

Update. If Tolls are put in, now Lamont wants to share your info .

https://fox61.com/2019/05/14/gov-neg...-other-states/

It’s a reciprocity agreement. Right now any CT resident without an EZ Pass who is captured on camera can’t be forced to pay. MA and RI want to be paid just like CT will if an out of state driver without EZ Pass goes through a toll.

[1000fc]

Originally Posted by Fuele

Tesla is bleeding cash, and eventually will be swallowed up

You know who else was bleeding cash? ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, Amazon, FedEx and plenty of others.

Looks like they ended up alright.

You forget Tesla went from a fledgling start-up to one of the most innovative car companies in the world in 2 years, with battery tech being purchased the world over.


Bleeding cash isn't a marker of a failing business, or one ripe to be swallowed up.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Fuele

Yes , and I hope they stay and spend some money in the area businesses. I can drive from Union CT to PA with only the Newburgh Bridge Toll to pay. It works both ways.

I live in CT and the other day I paid $ 2.33 a gallon using my stop and shop discounts. I fill up around every two weeks . I would be willing pay more in gas taxes than have tolls put in. No question about it.


If the surveys aren't done 24/7 / 365 the information is suspect.

Are they staying and buying gas now. Most are just passing through and don’t spend a nickel here let alone fill up their tanks. And if we raise the gas tax even more they will be even less likely to do so. Don’t we already pay some of the highest gas prices in the country? You want to pay more? Will you still say that when gas goes up to $4.00 a gallon?

And obviously you know nothing about traffic engineering and ho studies are done. To continuously monitor traffic is just ridiculous and a complete waste of money. It will tell you little more than you would get monitoring for a week or two. Again these are estimates based on collected data. Jay

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Fuele

The problem is that Mass transit constantly loses money, and it can't serve everyone A gas tax is immediate can be adjusted, and does not need several hundred million dollars invested.

Anytime the Government tries to build something , the cost is almost always much higher than the original projection.

A very good friend of mine just retired after 40 years on Metro North. You don't want to know what I have learned from him. He was not a Coach Cleaner .

So you're going to hike gas taxes and somehow magically add 8 more lanes to I-95? It's insanely expensive to add a lane to an interstate highway in a congested area. You either get more occupants per vehicle or you hope autonomous vehicles show up quickly to get the stupid humans out of the way.

[Fuele]

Originally Posted by robr2

It’s a reciprocity agreement. Right now any CT resident without an EZ Pass who is captured on camera can’t be forced to pay. MA and RI want to be paid just like CT will if an out of state driver without EZ Pass goes through a toll.

Yes it is. And if you are okay with more of your data being distributed I guess you have nothing to worry about. That is unless the database is hacked , like Baltimore and several towns in Florida and across the country. Then You could have something to worry about.

[Fuele]

Originally Posted by 1000fc

You know who else was bleeding cash? ESPN, Turner Broadcasting, Amazon, FedEx and plenty of others.

Looks like they ended up alright.

You forget Tesla went from a fledgling start-up to one of the most innovative car companies in the world in 2 years, with battery tech being purchased the world over.


Bleeding cash isn't a marker of a failing business, or one ripe to be swallowed up.

None of those other companies make cars. None of those companies are having an incentive to buy their product taken away.

The stock is down 34% this year. They report sales data today.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by Fuele

Yes it is. And if you are okay with more of your data being distributed I guess you have nothing to worry about. That is unless the database is hacked , like Baltimore and several towns in Florida and across the country. Then You could have something to worry about.

As an FYI, registration data is already shared in national databases. What they are negotiating is a punitive method of getting scofflaws to pay their tolls by limiting one's ability to renew their registration if there are unpaid tolls owed to other states.

Right now, CT doesn't do that so CT car owners without an EZ Pass can drive through tolls and not pay with impunity. If CT doesn't agree to reciprocity, that mean I can put my EZ Pass in the metal bag and pass through your tolls without paying as well.