removing long-standing prohibition



Won't be able to call them freeways much longer. Obama would love to tax you $5 for every time you start your car. Probably next to come.


With pressure mounting to avert a transportation funding crisis this summer, the Obama administration Tuesday opened the door for states to collect tolls on interstate highways to raise revenue for roadway repairs.

The proposal, contained in a four-year, $302 billion White House transportation bill, would reverse a long-standing federal prohibition on most interstate tolling.

With transportation funding in jeopardy, money to repair deficient bridges may not be there.

Though some older segments of the network — notably the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes and Interstate 95 in Maryland and Virginia — are toll roads, most of the 46,876-mile system has been toll-free.

“We believe that this is an area where the states have to make their own decisions,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We want to open the aperture, if you will, to allow more states to choose to make broader use of tolling, to have that option available.”

The question of how to pay to repair roadways and transit systems built in the heady era of post-World War II expansion is demanding center stage this spring, with projections that traditional funding can no longer meet the need.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/traf...story.html

Honest question.

I live 5 miles from I-80 I90. That's a toll road. I grew up next to I-75. It links Detroit to Miami with a bunch of important cities in between. No toll. Who decides this and why I wonder?

(04-30-2014 01:03 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Honest question.

I live 5 miles from I-80 I90. That's a toll road. I grew up next to I-75. It links Detroit to Miami with a bunch of important cities in between. No toll. Who decides this and why I wonder?

Don't know. I drove recently from Chicago to Washington DC. I paid tolls on interstates on 90% of that drive.

I just looked it up. They passed a law in 1940. If the road was built after that no toll. Only 2900 of the 47,000 miles are tolls. I use I-90 all the time. It's 2 bucks each way but you can fly on it. We should make them like the Autobohn. Pay big bucks but no speed limit. 4- 5 lane suckers.

California has no toll roads. Thought that was interesting.

$$$

This will hurt the economy far more than it will help pay for roads.

Obama's always finding new Taxes to fund His causes that most people could care less about. What a joke He is.

yeah bridges and roads...... no one cares about those....

There was great debate this past year whether or not to install a toll station on the VA/NC border on Interstate 95. I think the proposal has been squashed. I did find it perplexing as to why the toll wasn't suggested for northern virginia though.

Funding roads and highways is something we'll have to re-assess in the future.

The current model won't work as people are now driving fewer miles and cars are getting better mileage.

(04-30-2014 01:38 PM)Niner National Wrote:  Funding roads and highways is something we'll have to re-assess in the future.

The current model won't work as people are now driving fewer miles and cars are getting better mileage.

Seems like a good place to start is to stop diverting funds from the highway fund to other projects.

Lots of government jobs for toll takers.

(04-30-2014 01:44 PM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  Lots of government jobs for toll takers.

I've often thought that being a fry cook at McDonalds would be much more interesting than being a toll taker. I almost can't think of a job I'd like less than that one.

So they're doing away with the gas tax then?

Boys, there wont be toll takers. It will all be automatic. We have them in Ohio. EZ Pass its called. I havent seen a toll worker in years.

(04-30-2014 01:29 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  yeah bridges and roads...... no one cares about those....

Sorry but They're using road funds for many other things just like They did using Social Security funds in the past . Thats why many States take Years to get road funding.many states also passed lotteries to fund Education but much gets diverted to road funding because the Feds have those funds tied up.

(04-30-2014 02:27 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Boys, there wont be toll takers. It will all be automatic. We have them in Ohio. EZ Pass its called. I havent seen a toll worker in years.

Then you've clearly never traveled the Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway.

(04-30-2014 02:27 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Boys, there wont be toll takers. It will all be automatic. We have them in Ohio. EZ Pass its called. I havent seen a toll worker in years.

They work from home now.

I don't have a problem pre se with tolling interstates and I especially like the idea of 'Lexus Lanes'. But unfortunately more state DOT are run with such incompetence that trusting such a body with a large influx of cash makes the entire enterprise ripe for graft and corruption.

I have a massive problem with tolling as long as the gas tax is still being collected. I have no problem driving 20 miles out of the way to avoid a toll and I refuse to buy EZ Pass.