Anthony Foxx asks Congress to end ban of tolls on interstate highways

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/04/30/5779337/transportation-dept-asks-congress.html

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx reported Tuesday that the Highway Trust Fund is set to run out of cash in August, a scenario that would heavily damage the thirty-one states who currently rely on Federal funding for a large percentage of their highway and bridge improvements. As such Foxx has proposed Congress end the ban of tolls on Federally funded highways, such as the U.S Interstate Highway system.

Supporters of toll roadways are already lining up in support with Pat Jones, Executive Director of  the International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Association, noted that thirty-five states (and multiple countries) already use toll roads and crossings as a "proven and effective option" for infrastructure improvements.

The U.S Chamber of Commerce, led by Tom Donahue, and the American Trucking Associations led by former Kansas Governor and Secretary of State Bill Graves, who support increases Federal taxes on diesel fuel and gasoline.  Graves came out with a statement calling the plan being offered "disappointing", and claiming that "The focus must be on real long-term funding answers rather than repeatedly looking for the proverbial nickles in the couch cushions"

[MurrayBannerman]

FF. I just hope that the money would go toward maintaining existing infrastructure rather than more overbuilding.

Yea, make it more expensive for the poor and young to travel places. Thanks, I appreciate it.

[TNF]

I can get behind this, but only on the assumption that it would ultimately lead to more investment in public transit. We should really look into abolishing public transit fees altogether.

[Zioneer]

We should probably tax the rich a bit more to fund this fund, but like that's ever going to happen.

[MurrayBannerman]

FF. I just hope that the money would go toward maintaining existing infrastructure rather than more overbuilding.

Yea, make it more expensive for the poor and young to travel places. Thanks, I appreciate it.

Would you care to provide some evidence that these fees would be regressive in effect? The last time that I checked, the younger and the poorer were less likely to own a car.

And they're also less likely to have taxable income. Is that a good enough reason to institute a flat tax? No.

[Simfan34]

I can get behind this, but only on the assumption that it would ultimately lead to more investment in public transit.

I agree completely. Particularly high-speed rail.

We should really look into abolishing public transit fees altogether.

...and you just had to.

[bedstuy]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

[MurrayBannerman]

FF. I just hope that the money would go toward maintaining existing infrastructure rather than more overbuilding.

Yea, make it more expensive for the poor and young to travel places. Thanks, I appreciate it.

Would you care to provide some evidence that these fees would be regressive in effect? The last time that I checked, the younger and the poorer were less likely to own a car.

And they're also less likely to have taxable income. Is that a good enough reason to institute a flat tax? No.

Comparing a fee on the use of a common good to an income tax is not instructive. Both generate government revenue, but beyond that they have little in common in economic terms.

Both place a disproportionate burden on the lower income part of society that they effect.

[NewYorkExpress]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

The way you're putting it, it's probably makes more sense to ban cars (not)

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

if the united states had halfways decent train/bus/etc systems, i would agree with you.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Why do you hate this country so?

[Beet]

Regressive or not, I disagree with this (Averroës, it seems the California study used to back up the article you linked to only compared tolls to sales taxes, finding that the former is good for both the rich and poor at the expense of the middle class). Transportation should be seen as a public good. Charging tolls for roads only encourages rent-seeking, whether government or otherwise. One of the benefits of roads is to encourage economic activity. Hence a toll is effectively a tax on that activity, which hampers the benefit of the road in the first place. It seems like some of you have it out for drivers... but just because we personally disapprove of something, doesn't mean we ought to manipulate policy to make doing it as hard as possible. Driving has certain objective advantages over public transportation, namely it is much more flexible. You can go where you want when you want. You are not at the mercy of schedules and routes. Also, of course driving is uniquely suited to the United States, as a large country with a lot of habitable land. Public transportation just wouldn't be possible in large areas of the country.

[pbrower2a]

The marginal cost of another car on a rural expressway is typically zero. The benefit is that people don't  shunpike by taking slower but more dangerous highways. One of the effects of the Interstate system is that the infamous "Blood Alleys" lose much traffic.

The Interstate Highway System has paid for itself alone by reducing highway fatalities and crippling injuries. That's before we discuss reduced costs of shipping, time saved, augmented business activity, and real-estate development.

The justification for tolls remains for highways that are unusually costly to build  due to engineering costs, environmental damage, or real-estate acquisition -- or that the highway largely serves people from out of the area.

Tolls reduce highway use. Just contrast the rather-lightly traveled Indiana Toll Road to Interstate 94 about 30 miles away in Michigan.

[henster]

Probably not the best idea if he plans on having a political future like running for Senate in NC/Governor etc.

[pbrower2a]

Trial balloon.

It's time to contemplate raising the fuel taxes.

[Frodo]

Sounds more than reasonable -if you want well-maintained highways, it is only fair to ask you (the user) to fork up some cash to pay for it.  You can't get something for nothing -at least not anymore.  Not in this age of austerity. 

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Unless those changes are balanced by removing sprawl, quality public transit, and similar measures, the only practical result will be time and money sucked out of the already suffering lower and middle classes.

[bedstuy]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Unless those changes are balanced by removing sprawl, quality public transit, and similar measures, the only practical result will be time and money sucked out of the already suffering lower and middle classes.

I would spend the revenue on public transit and infrastructure. 

[SPQR]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Why do you hate this country so?

That's the average situation in Europe,tbh.
It's the US which stands out...

[Franzl]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Why do you hate this country so?

That's the average situation in Europe,tbh.
It's the US which stands out...

I think he knows that and views it positively. Not sure why anyone would think that way, but whatever.

[KingSweden]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

Why do you hate this country so?

That's the average situation in Europe,tbh.
It's the US which stands out...

I think he knows that and views it positively. Not sure why anyone would think that way, but whatever.

Cars are most definitely over-subsidized. The most politically likely solutions would be tolling (fairest approach, I think) and then charging for most parking spaces. Car tabs (aka car taxes) are obscenely regressive unless they're an MVET, which thanks to Tim Eyman we no longer have in WA. A gas tax is inefficient since more people are buying electric, hybrid, or fuel-efficient than in the past, so as those alternative modes grow over the next decade, the gas tax will capture even less than it is now, when the revenues are already in decline.

[pbrower2a]

One possible solution is to impose "highway cost recovery" fees on vehicles that do not use or rarely use motor fuels. Fuel taxes are a user fee.

Tolls are a terribly-inefficient way in which to pay for highways.     

[Deus Naturae]

One possible solution is to impose "highway cost recovery" fees on vehicles that do not use or rarely use motor fuels. Fuel taxes are a user fee.

Tolls are a terribly-inefficient way in which to pay for highways.     

So, tolls are an inefficient funding mechanism, but fuel taxes, which by their very nature shrink their own revenue base, are not? Explain please.

[pbrower2a]

One possible solution is to impose "highway cost recovery" fees on vehicles that do not use or rarely use motor fuels. Fuel taxes are a user fee.

Tolls are a terribly-inefficient way in which to pay for highways.     

So, tolls are an inefficient funding mechanism, but fuel taxes, which by their very nature shrink their own revenue base, are not? Explain please.

Tolls require infrastructure just for collecting tolls, whether toll booths or some system of electronic pickpocket. Toll roads are more expensive to build because the interchanges (typically trumpet and double-trumpet interchanges that funnel traffic through a tollbooth) are more expensive than the typical diamond interchange of most freeways.  I have suggested some roads suited to tolling -- superhighways not used by the people who live in the area near the toll road, highways of freakish cost to build and maintain (typically bridges and tunnels). Many Interstate Highways are unsuited to tolling because of huge numbers of exits.

OK, so a toll bridge across the Hudson near New York City may have been paid for several times, but maintenance of it is fiendish. In general new urban routes might as well be toll roads due to the cost of land acquisition.

Some Interstates are literal replacements of previously-existing highways that are subsequently degraded or closed. As a prime example, Interstate 80 in Nevada fully supplants old US 40, most of which has been demolished. 

All taxes shrink their revenue base. Tolls push people onto dangerous alternatives.

Examples of highways that used to be toll roads:

Connecticut Turnpike
Merritt Parkway
Kentucky Turnpike
Western Kentucky Parkway
Bluegrass Parkway
Daniel Boone Parkway
Pennyrile Parkway
Jackson Purchase Parkway
Cumberland Parkway
Richmond-Petersburg Parkway
Virginia Beach Turnpike
Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike
Denver-Boulder Turnpike
several toll bridges near and in Jacksonville, Florida   

[DINGO Joe]

While the OP was about interstate, gas taxes on the state level support state roads and Bloomberg recently had an analysis of which states would have to spend the most per capita to bring poor state roads up to good.

Most of the states that would have to spend the most were rural and southern and you'll never guess what state is at the top, and in fact 50% above the #2 state. 

http://media.bloomberg.com/bb/avfile/rOFW60DH17VU

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-24/west-virginians-owe-1-035-each-for-rotten-infrastructure.html

Give yourself a lump of coal if you guessed right before reading the link.

States at the bottom are more urbanized and generally have a higher gas tax.