Tolls

I'm fairly opposed to tolls for the highways - yet another way to limit options for the nation's poor.

I do understand the need to raise more money for the roads, and the effects of increased fuel efficiency on gas tax collection, so do support raising the gas tax, or even other taxes, in order to keep the roads in good shape.

It was not that long ago here in Florida that the agency in charge of the toll roads had to admit they could not account for the money collected nor how it had been spent, in fact they could not exactly say how much money had been collected for a signficant period of time. Sure makes you want to give them more.

We also avoid tolls as much as we can. Agree with all of this but what I cannot understand is why people keep reelecting the same politicians year after year. Here in NJ our governor was reelected in a landslide even though an independent poll shows his record was worse then the previous governor.

Never was for tolls on interstates.

Haven't changed my mind.

Google Chicago and you will see just how much of the revenue from tolls went to keeping the highways upgraded and safe. :R

""..Illinois Tollway Authority mis-accounted for $150 million in revenues...""

Out here on the Left Coast, we are getting our normal lanes converted to toll lanes on the freeways. I have big problems with this.

Firstly, the Dept of Motor Vehicles already admitted publicly that the purpose of the 'car pool lanes' was to annoy drivers sufficiently that they would form car pools and reduce the number of vehicles on the road. So 25% of the road capacity is reserved for 7% of the vehicles.

Secondly, the freeways are supported (in theory by law) by the gasoline taxes. So those who travel more and have heavier vehicles pay more.

Thirdly, the constant pressure by governments state and federal to build more fuel-efficient cars has resulted in the same, with the unintended consequence of less tax revenue from the pumps.

Fourthly, the 'lock-box' that allegedly contains the gas tax revenue is constantly raided by politicians for pet projects not related to transportation.

Fifthly, we are now required to buy a transponder so that the tolls are automatically deducted from our checking accounts. I see no restrictions whatsoever preventing the gummint from deducting whatever they please.

Sixthly, we already paid for those freeways and I see no reason why I should pay for them again, over and above what I pay through the gas tax.

Finally, I can ride my motorcycle (as for now) on the carpool lanes by setting the transponder to indicate '3 or more passengers' for free (now, but later, who knows?). However I still have to buy the transponder for $30.00.


Politicians (read: robber barons) absolutely cannot resist stealing money intended for a specific purpose in order to support their own pet project. Pet projects have a lifetime only as long as a politician's attention span.


As for the turnpikes and similar road in the Northeast, the tolls paid for the road construction and maintenance. I don't object to that. Out here, the tolls are meant to reduce the deficit spending and budget overruns, not for transportation maintenance.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programs. Twilight Zone off.

Not me, if I can't get there on a backroad I simply won't go rather than pay MORE ridiculous taxes for roads that will inexplicably be no better. Besides, wasn't that trillion dollar shovel ready business supposed to fix all the roads and bridges?

To put this in some perspective, the OP says he paid (rounding the amounts) $30 in tolls to go 201 miles. That means he paid $1 every time he drove 6.7 miles (201/30). If he's getting 6.7 miles to the gallon, then every time he burned a gallon of fuel he paid an extra $1. Let fuel go up by a dollar a gallon, and see how good an idea this seems to be.

Interestingly, increased gas mileage is penalized by this tolling approach. Suppose he's getting 10 mpg. Since he paid an extra $1 for every 6.7 miles, he paid $1.49 for every ten miles driven (10/6.7) or for every gallon of fuel burned. How does an increase of $1.49 per gallon sound to you?

I refuse to travel via Interstates.......secondary/backroads unless I just can't get there from here and then it won't be on a Tolled Interstate as I'm already paying for then via Fed. fuel tax.