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I am against the idea of nickel and diming people through tolls on every state and local road.
As am I.
There are a couple of toll roads in the greater Denver metro. I refuse to take them.
I am convinced they exist solely to pay the salaries of the people who work for the highway authority.
There are a couple of toll roads in the greater Denver metro. I refuse to take them.
I am convinced they exist solely to pay the salaries of the people who work for the highway authority.
But what if you paid no gas taxes and no general fund taxes were used for roads. Your tolls would pay for the roads you use.
The only place that would not work is in sparsely populated rural areas. Those roads would have to be subsidized by urban road users. But the bottom line would be very close to "you pay for what you use" and the cost would be quite visible instead of hidden in a complex funding mechanism.
But what if you paid no gas taxes and no general fund taxes were used for roads. Your tolls would pay for the roads you use.
The only place that would not work is in sparsely populated rural areas. Those roads would have to be subsidized by urban road users. But the bottom line would be very close to "you pay for what you use" and the cost would be quite visible instead of hidden in a complex funding mechanism.
That's a big "if."
These toll roads exist for convenience only. There are many other ways to get to where they go that don't involve tolls, regardless of how minimal, and the associated up-keep of the plate readers, bill mailers, etc.
I've no doubt that the majority of the money collected goes not towards road maintenance but for contracts, salaries, etc.
Those of us who live in Colorado pay some of the highest vehicle registration fees in the country, allegedly because of the wear and tear on roads and the associated upkeep. Despite the millions that they must collect every year, the roads are terrible - pot holes everywhere. Wherever the money is going, it's not going to the roads.
I'd much rather subsidize public transportation. At least I can see where that money is going.
These toll roads exist for convenience only. There are many other ways to get to where they go that don't involve tolls, regardless of how minimal, and the associated up-keep of the plate readers, bill mailers, etc.
I've no doubt that the majority of the money collected goes not towards road maintenance but for contracts, salaries, etc.
Those of us who live in Colorado pay some of the highest vehicle registration fees in the country, allegedly because of the wear and tear on roads and the associated upkeep. Despite the millions that they must collect every year, the roads are terrible - pot holes everywhere. Wherever the money is going, it's not going to the roads.
I'd much rather subsidize public transportation. At least I can see where that money is going.
Same here. I-76, aka the PA Turnpike, is 100% toll road and the highway has bumps and potholes everywhere. So, where are my tolls going when I use it? No more tolls!
But what if you paid no gas taxes and no general fund taxes were used for roads. Your tolls would pay for the roads you use.
The only place that would not work is in sparsely populated rural areas. Those roads would have to be subsidized by urban road users. But the bottom line would be very close to "you pay for what you use" and the cost would be quite visible instead of hidden in a complex funding mechanism.
Roads with higher traffic would have a better chance of being paid for than neighborhood streets. There is a good chance there would be a dirty road outside of your house due to not being enough money to pay for paving it. Also, how would you place tolls on local roads? Do you do it at every block?
Either way would work. Toll road fee collection is totally automated and works quite well. You can drive through a toll collection point at 80 MPH.
It would cost billions to put automatic toll collectors on every block of every street in my city alone. Put them up in the ghetto neighborhoods and people will take them down just as fast. Your idea is not feasible.
These toll roads exist for convenience only. There are many other ways to get to where they go that don't involve tolls, regardless of how minimal, and the associated up-keep of the plate readers, bill mailers, etc.
I've no doubt that the majority of the money collected goes not towards road maintenance but for contracts, salaries, etc.
Actually, the Northeastern Turnpike Complex from Illinois to Massachusetts (and south to Delaware) existed before the Interstate Highway System. The reason the tolls still exist (but the roads are still interstates) is because the Federal and State governments are relieved from the obligation of original construction and operational upkeep.
Some receive State aid, but their funding is almost exclusively tolls and bond investments. For example, the New York State Thruway costs $420 million / year to operate. If the tolls come down, the gas tax will probably have to jump $.30 / gallon or so to compensate (or the state can just beg Uncle Sam, since drivers don't pay for most maintenance anyway on untolled roads).
Actually, the Northeastern Turnpike Complex from Illinois to Massachusetts (and south to Delaware) existed before the Interstate Highway System. The reason the tolls still exist (but the roads are still interstates) is because the Federal and State governments are relieved from the obligation of original construction and operational upkeep.
Some receive State aid, but their funding is almost exclusively tolls and bond investments. For example, the New York State Thruway costs $420 million / year to operate. If the tolls come down, the gas tax will probably have to jump $.30 / gallon or so to compensate (or the state can just beg Uncle Sam, since drivers don't pay for most maintenance anyway on untolled roads).
I know that is true back east, but not so much in the west/southwest. When I left NJ for NM, I must have been halfway across the country before I realized that I hadn't encountered a single toll road.
And we're talking big interstates like I-10 where the posted speed limit during the day can hit 80 mph and the road surface is pristine compared to roads back east.
Somehow those roads are maintained without tolls. Same deal with I-25.
The toll road near me is completely local. It's not an interstate, but an actual expressway, built as a feeder to/from DIA. As I said earlier, it was built for convenience more than anything else. Of course, when it was proposed, the mantra was that the tolls would only remain until construction, etc. was paid off.
Years later, and they are still in place and are going up this year. Why? Because the route is under-utilized. Why? Because of the tolls.
Same here. I-76, aka the PA Turnpike, is 100% toll road and the highway has bumps and potholes everywhere. So, where are my tolls going when I use it? No more tolls!
Just because politicians abuse the toll collection process does not mean we should not have toll roads. We should make the politicians behave.
Road funding is a convoluted mess where we have money going in and out of road funding so that it's difficult to determine what they cost and where our money goes. Most toll roads were paid for decades ago, but they continue collecting tolls to fund other roads and mass transit. Funding is a mess at best.
It would cost billions to put automatic toll collectors on every block of every street in my city alone. Put them up in the ghetto neighborhoods and people will take them down just as fast. Your idea is not feasible.
Nobody said every block. It does not have to be that granular.
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