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Toll Roads

Submitted by chad360 on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 10:32am.

I'm listening to Dave Ross on KIRO 710, talking about the idea of "toll roads".

I'm amazed how many ideas come up that marginalize folks, and I'd hate to have to pay tolls to drive around the state I was born in...

...when is this escalating, classist, capitalism gonna stop?

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Tolls reduce traffic congestion

Submitted by Guglielmo on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 10:42am.

The unfairness you are talking about can be eliminated by providing vouchers to low-income drivers. Sitting in stalled traffic may be more fair, but it's not very good for our productivity or environment. There are other ways to ration road time, but they aren't very flexible.

The reality

Submitted by CIAGuy on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 1:41pm.

is the gas tax is an outdated funding source. When more and more folks use vehicles that consume less and less gas to drive more and more miles, the result is a strained infrastructure.

So some other way to fund roads, bridges, etc has to take its place. Tolls are one option. Charging for miles driven is another. They are experimenting with that in Oregon but there are privacy concerns.

Here's the link

Submitted by CIAGuy on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 7:41pm.

to Oregon's results of their study of paying for miles driven instead of a gas tax

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/RUFPP/docs/RUFPP_finalreport.pdf

When we start to learn how

Submitted by Just another voice on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 1:49pm.

When we start to learn how to carpool, how to ride transit, and how to vanpool, then it will stop being so outrageous because you won't need to pay the tolls! I know, I know, "the bus doesn't come out my way", "i can't rideshare, I have to pick up my kid", etc.. etc.. And to that, I say: At some point we need to play hard ball and cut the funding to building more highways and use it to create light rail, better transit, and bigger bike lanes. I'm not sure if that will ever happen, but basically the highway is becoming more and more pay-per-use, and so we will just have to learn to adapt. And learn how to ask more of our representatives involved in making better transit happen.

But I am Just Another Voice

Toll roads - the next ferry system?

Submitted by Marcie on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 9:32pm.

And what a great model our state is for pay-per-use. Look at our ferry system. Can't wait to see the highways go down the same path.

Toll roads are more 'market based' social engineering

Submitted by Laurian on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 1:54pm.

in which the poor and middle class get engineered. The HOT lane program began this week, a form of toll roads on roads already bought and paid for.

The solution to transportation and other problems is to overhaul Washington's State's regressive B&O and sales taxes with a progressive income tax. But that's a different thread.

Tolls would also move commercial traffic into off peek hours

Submitted by Guglielmo on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 2:04pm.

How do you propose getting people off I5? An income tax?

tax the rich, how's that for classist?

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 11:07pm.

Luxury Vehicle Tax.

The problem is the $30 flat rate licensing fee. People who buy and drive a $500,000 Bentley should be made to pay more than the guy who is going to spend 4 years paying off a $10,000 Kia. Economic inequity must be addressed.

That means

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 8:04am.

That means not-rich-yet-comfortable people can't save up for something nice.

I (think I) wouldn't have a problem with some kind of mileage tax - there could be exemptions for work vehicles, caretakers, etc.

I agree with Merwyn here.

Submitted by Rob Richards on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 9:16am.

Let's tax things we don't like, not things we do.

A gas tax is great

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 9:46am.

if you can address income equity issues. The more miles you drive, the more you pay and the less efficient your vehicle, the more you pay. Sounds good to me. Next, I would charge a fee based on the size of the vehicle. The bigger the vehicle the more space you take up on the road, the more you pay. Hey, perhaps vehicles under a certain size don't have to pay anything at all. And what isn't social engineering?

Tax personal vehicles on road wear and Carbon Footprint

Submitted by Laurian on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 8:02pm.

As to what isn't social engineering, your right. I was going to write Making Love but in some ways.... Damn the imperfections of the Ideal Spheres.

Gug, for the record: Y'all is an erudite MoFo.

how about...

Submitted by chad360 on Wed, 05/07/2008 - 5:21am.

...cash for bicyclists & peds who commute?

Pay me to NOT drive!

I can afford to drive, so why shouldn't I drive?

Pay me to bike or walk or take a bus...

In essence, I can afford to drive when I want because I do ride a bike and walk alot (saves money)...

...that, and I'm in better shape for the walking & biking (which is "priceless" =)

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