Opinion: A $40 toll for a 10-mile trip? This is the new infrastructure math

Market Watch ^ | December 7, 2017 | John Rennie Short

[lightman]

In Pennsyltucky we have two seasons: Winter and construction.

[vooch]

we should privatize the interstates and let the free market do its magic
Only if taxes are reduced accordingly. Otherwise, you’re paying twice.

Agreed - eliminate federal gas tax and privatize the interstates

[Hawthorn]

>> People have to pay to drive on a road? <<

Yes. And what most stories about this matter fail to point out is that the people who now are being hit with the high toll are only those drivers who previously could not use this road at all during rush hour, due to HOV restrictions.

Therefore, nobody is really worse off with the new system -- whereas a lot of people now have an opportunity to use a road that was previously closed to them, as long as they're willing to pay for the new privilege.

(And if they're not willing pay, they are still perfectly free to use the non-freeway routes they were using before.)

[Hawthorn]

>> Why are you people knocking it? <<

Because complainers need things to complain about.

Welcome to FR!

[Hawthorn]

>> Have a job, you need to drive to it. <<

Yes, but before the new system, if you were not in a carpool, you could not drive I-66 AT ALL during rush hour.

Now you can drive it by paying a toll, while carpoolers still can drive for free. Nobody has lost anything, because you can still use the same old roads you were using before.

(And in fact, the old non-tolled roads might be less crowded than before, to the extent that some commuters will now use I-66 instead. It’s basically a win-win situation.)

[New Jersey Realist]

You are certainly a disagreeable person. I said take another route and you say: “Actually there aren’t any. Look at an f’in map instead of spouting of (sic) your ignorant mouth.” What kind of a comment is that to make to a FRiend?

For your info I did the research and found that Interstate 66 in Virginia traverses 74.84 miles east-west from I-81 in Warren County to the District of Columbia border (Potomac River) in Arlington County. I-66 serves the towns and cities of Strasburg, Front Royal, Manassas, Fairfax, Vienna, Falls Church, Arlington, and the District of Columbia.

I-66 was built near to and parallel to existing major interregional highways; VA-55 from I-81 to Gainesville, and US-29 from Gainesville to the District of Columbia. Virginia I-66 had one planned Interstate spur route, I-266, which was cancelled in 1977. http://roadstothefuture.com/I66_VA_Desc.html

Parallel roads show up on a street map and unless they closed up those parallel and existing major inter-regional highways/roads, which I seriously doubt, how about saving your venom for your own self.

[AndyJackson]

and US-29 from Gainesville to the District

Which, if you lived here, you would recognize to be a local road that in rush hour moves at about 5 mph between red lights. It is not an alternative to anything.

But, nice try.

[AndyJackson]

the old non-tolled roads might be less crowded than before

They aren't. The place exploded with the Bush-Cheney buildup of local contractors to support the new DHS and to support the war in Iraq. The floodwaters of the swamp extend wide and they extend deep - and the I-66 $40 toll is just more rakeoff by swamp critters.

It's DC's principal line of business these days - skimming off the rest of the country before we give it back to you, except we are now skimming so much that the give-back is pretty slim pickings.

I am amazed that those outside the area choose to try to defend any of it. Nothing works. The Pentagon is about the worst of it - because that is where the money is, but nothing is very effective.

[roadcat]

Imagine what it would be like if all the people were all on the road at the exact same time?

It's crazy around here. My wife and I are retired. We go to Costco or the supermarket or the mall, it's always crowded. Doesn't matter if it's Wednesday or Saturday, or any time of the day. My wife and I are always saying "doesn't anyone work?". The people are all ages, 20 through 60, and not mostly retirees as one would think. The roads and stores are full of people at all times of the week. My youngest daughter works in IT software programming so she can telecommute several days of the week, taking a break to drop off and pick up her daughter from school, while my wife and I fill in for her the other couple days. Very convenient for her.

But it just appears to me that a lot of non-working people are milling around during the day, driving and shopping. Wasn't like that a few decades ago.