Make I-70 a toll road? (Kansas City, St. Louis: contractors, taxes, prices)

[MUTGR]

MoDOT chief says voters could be bypassed on I-70 tolls

I don't know. Kind of rubs me the wrong way that MODOT wants to avoid the electorate?

[aragx6]

Tolls are flat taxes and flat taxes are unfair. It's absolutely ludicrous to me that they won't just raise the flipping gas tax -- MO's is so low. Why is there resistance to this? I. Don't. Get. It.

And at a proposed 15 cents a mile, that's going to cost quite a lot of money just to get across the state -- more than $25. That seems nuts to me -- fund Amtrak in perpetuity and I might be able to get behind that, however. As of now there are few alternatives to driving I-70.

Then again, maybe that is their actual goal -- get residents all riled up about a toll on 70 and they'll get behind a raise in the gas tax.

[DinsdalePirahna]

the worse case scenario is that a toll road on the 70 would that it would clog the 40/64.

If the driving issue is about reducing traffic congestion, I would say widen the the road, create separate toll lanes like they have on the 91 in Southern California.

But I'm not sure that the 70 has the traffic to warrant that, and the frugal nature of the locals would never use a toll road/lane.

A 2-5 cent/gal increase on gas tax is not necessarily a bad thing.

[aragx6]

^The tolls would only be west of Hwy 40 (I-64) so it wouldn't impact most St. Louisans for their daily commute. Same for the KC side where the toll will begin east of I-470.

An article in the Star said they'd need a 15-cent gas tax increase to fund a rebuild, so apparently 2-5 cents won't cut it.

[stlouisan]

Unless they plan to widen 70 to three lanes across the whole state, I think a toll is a bad idea. If you're going to toll 70, you might as toll all the interstates. All of Missouri's interstates are important mainline roads with regards to transcontinental traffic and travel in general.

[aragx6]

^That's exactly what they plan to do.

[cyrano]

I smell corporate cronyism. The toll amount is outlandish (over $35 to drive the entire length, I think, but I'm not checking the numbers), the contractor has collection powers, and there's no real need. Outside KC and StL, the only traffic jams are caused by the occasional bad accident-- scarcely cause for a billion dollar project. MoDOT has a history of funneling the public's money to favored contractors (they're certainly not alone), and with no gummint money and no tax increases, this is the only option. The fact that it's not needed is irrelevant to those who stand to benefit.

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by cyrano

I smell corporate cronyism. The toll amount is outlandish (over $35 to drive the entire length, I think, but I'm not checking the numbers), the contractor has collection powers, and there's no real need. Outside KC and StL, the only traffic jams are caused by the occasional bad accident-- scarcely cause for a billion dollar project. MoDOT has a history of funneling the public's money to favored contractors (they're certainly not alone), and with no gummint money and no tax increases, this is the only option. The fact that it's not needed is irrelevant to those who stand to benefit.

$25 or more to cross the state of Missouri? Ridiculous. MoDOT better be prepared for the torches and pitchforks. Especially with gas prices set to jump again according to most experts.

[mike0421]

Doesn't the federal gasoline portion of the tax per gallon of gasoline fund interstate highway projects, and doesn't the federal do a 90/10 match on the states?

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by aragx6

^The tolls would only be west of Hwy 40 (I-64) so it wouldn't impact most St. Louisans for their daily commute. Same for the KC side where the toll will begin east of I-470.

An article in the Star said they'd need a 15-cent gas tax increase to fund a rebuild, so apparently 2-5 cents won't cut it.

Exactly. The intent is to tax those not contributing to the traffic in those two areas needing rebuilding.

It appears to be in some way like the way Kansas has part of I-35 as a tollroad but only when one is between Emporia and Witchita. Truckers can make it up with fees that will be passed along to the consumers. Rural residents and farmers will be hit harder than those in the St. Louis & Kansas City outer metro areas where the back-ups occur.