I don’t think tolls are a bad idea. Making people pay to fix the congestion problems they are partly the cause of, rather than putting the burden on others, is a conservative idea. It’s not like the tolls pay for an entire road, most costs are still covered by the gas tax.
And I also think it’s a good idea sometimes to toll something to build something else — if that something else will help those using the thing being tolled. FOr example, look at the two tunnels. The one can’t really be expanded, but expanding the other tunnel would lessen traffic in the downtown tunnel, so those users would benefit, even if that tunnel isn’t upgraded.
The most extreme example I can think of for this is in downtown Baltimore — where they put tolls on an I-95 tunnel, and used it to build two new tunnels, which ended up connected to a road that somewhat parallels 95, but is separate from it. Clearly that new tunnel was helpful to those using the old I-95 tunnel (in fact I believe 895 actually uses the old tunnels, and 95 has the new ones, but I’m just trying to make a point).
I don’t like the idea of tolling things that used to be free, in order to provide new benefits for others. I’m not a fan of the HOT lane concept on I-95 for that reason, even though for now current legal uses of the HOV lanes will still get to use them for free, and the private company taking them over is supposed to ENSURE that those HOV users move as quickly as they did before. This is impossible of course, because the whole point of HOT was there was unused capacity, and increasing to the capacity of the road will slow down traffic, probably to within the speed limit but people WERE going faster.
Anyway, I know a lot of people just hate tolls. But we do have some real traffic problems in a few places where people have CHOSEN to live one place and work in another, and they made the choice based on the contributions of all taxpayers to building those roads, and now those roads are almost impossible for casual users because you can’t count on getting anywhere at major periods of the day.
If tolls make those people pay fairly for those choices, we all benefit.
of course, part of the reason for tolls is beause the anti-tax crowd is serious here in Virginia, and so if you really need more revenue, this is the only way to get it — especially since nobody will approve selling the ABC stores.
1. The people targeted for tolls still pay the gas tax to pay for the roads they don’t use.
2. In this instance, there are 2 existing roads being tolled and only is being expanded. You are tolling one road to add capacity to another.
3. This creates a “tolling authority” with the power to toll roads and take land via emminent domain without any due process.
4. No tolls for Northern Virginia - ever. Even the proposed toll on I-95 would begin and end at Fredericksburg.
5. Not many people chose to live in one place and work in another. In a military and contracting heavy area, where one reports to work changes day to day. Plus, in a crappy economy, you take te work you can get and most people can’t up and move.
6. The people complaining are the ones that use the tunnels (a majority are low income Portsmouth residents). Nobody asked them their thoughts. Most would prefer the status quo. They will pay tolls for 10 years BEFORE the project is completed. During that time, traffic will be worse with lane closures etc. I don’t accept the premise that something HAS to be done. Come up with the funds with the taxes we already pay or leave it alone. We are already taxed to the brink.
7. Tolls in essence are a liberal idea, not a conservative one. Exhibit states and areas that currently have heavy tolls. It is a cowardice cop out.
8. Unaccountable tolling authorities with emminent domain power are sure as hell not conservative.
9. This really isn’t a democrat/republican issue. It is a crony issue that elites in both parties have supported for years.