Posted on 04/26/2017 7:18:45 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
As a relatively new phenomenon VA does have Express Lane tolls. They have “dynamic” pricing, so the 1/2 mile from Point A to Point B could be $0.90 or $3.50, or $4.70, depending on traffic/demand. There’s also a “flex” plan for HOV cars. No toll booths, just electronic recording of entry/exit and somehow (maybe random) passenger counts.
There’s a toll road on I-95 heading towards Richmond, VA and points south (i.e., the Carolinas/GA/FL) and another that is on the VA side of the Capitol Beltway. The I-95 toll, if taken the entire distance (maybe 20-30 miles?), can run $15 or more in prime time.
Given the traffic in this area, sometimes it’s worth paying the high toll. Personally, I stay off the roads as much as I can, especially during rush hour.
“They have “dynamic” pricing, so the 1/2 mile from Point A to Point B could be $0.90 or $3.50, or $4.70, depending on traffic/demand. “
I’ll be darned,I never heard of that———it makes sense.
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Up until the late 1980s or so, there were tolls on I-95 south of Washington. They existed between Richmond and Petersburg, VA and also in Jacksonville, FL. Furthermore, for many years the section of I-95 between Fort Pierce and Palm Beach Gardens, FL was unbuilt, and the most convenient alternate route was the Florida Turnpike (a toll road).
As for the tolls north of DC, they were grandfathered in, as they pre-date the interstate system.
Personally, I don’t have heartburn over having tolls at major bridges and tunnels, as these facilities are vastly more expensive to build and maintain than are regular surface roads. Thus, I’m OK with the I-95 tolls under the Baltimore Harbor (MD), over the Delaware River (DE-NJ), and over the Hudson River (NJ-NY). The bridge over the Susquehanna River (MD) is a gray area, IMO. But the rest of the tolls ought to go.
Tollroads ... 15 minutes of highway spped, interrupted by 30 minutes in line to toss coins in a bucket, or longer if you did not have the correct change, day or night, good weather or crap.
There goes your gas mileage.
There goes your calculated time of travel to granny’s house
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First time a snowflake has to open their window in a driving winter snow, or a summer’s not-quite-tropical-storm battering the area, they will freak out like a Southern Californian when the rain comes after washing and waxing the car.
Now, in this day of idiocy on the roads, you get somebody who doesn’t understand the language, holding up the line.
Or .... the automatic toll machine malfunctions, and the gate does not raise?
Gawd, I forgot about the Richmond tolls. Ugh. Could they tie up traffic. Nearly as bad as the Garden State tolls that were placed about every quarter mile. At least today’s tolls are almost all electronic and don’t impede the flow of traffic.
I just tend to stay off the roads during rush hour. I have no business as a retiree being on the roads, congesting them for folks who are still commuting to jobs without alternatives. Of course today a big part of the workforce “telecommutes,” which is great, especially in an area like DC. I also don’t do my shopping on weekends when those same folks have limited time to get their marketing done.
I suspect that if Wisconsin does that, they will use highway-speed electronic tolling with video billing for people without EZ-passes.
The snowflake will get a bill in the mail, open it up and say, “HUH???”
That’s what has been done with the E-470 beltway in Denver. E-470 is the best maintained, best patrolled and best cleared road in snow in the entire metro area. Traffic flow is good and it is being widened before there is a real crunch in rush hour traffic. Costs a little bit but it is a pleasure to drive on. I’m sure the state collects far more in gas tax to maintain the public freeways, but they are in abysmal shape. Maybe we should privatize the whole interstate system, do away with the gas tax and allow free enterprise to take care of our roads. Things would be a lot better.
I wish more retirees were as considerate of working people’s time (or lack thereof) as you are.
Do you really think that a couple cents per mile is enough to pay for the roads?
Since roads are paid for through the general fund then that is where the funds flow through to repair the streets where you are from. Combined with the federal dollars is how your state boot straps its way to the top.
That would be consistent with the boot strap republicans.
But clawing for more public dollars seems fine to them in this situation.
It would be a tradgedy if folks were to pay their fair share of the roads that they use. Where would we send those federal dollars meant for Trasportation waste?
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