Motorists traveling across the state of Pennsylvania on Interstate 80 could pay a $25 tax by the year 2010. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Friday asked the US Department of Transportation for approval to turn the free and paid-for interstate highway into a toll road for the purpose of raising money for mass transit and other public spending projects. This would be the first conversion of a free interstate into a toll road since the interstate highway system was developed fifty years ago.
What do you think of the idea of turning freeways into toll roads?
Oh dear god I hope the USDOT does not approve this. Once once state gets this approved, the rest will follow suit.
I’m sure Albuquerque’s own Mayor Marty would be happy to slap a toll on I-25 if he could use the money for pandas and streetcars on Central.
It already costs near that to cross PA on the PA Turnpike … if dollars equals good roads, the PA Turnpike is an abject failure. I bumped across it last Xmas, shouting in anger about every couple of miles: “I want $5 of my toll to go to THAT POTHOLE …” or “I want $10 of my toll to go to THAT HOLE IN THE ROOF OF THE ALLEGHENY TUNNEL” …
It is a very bad idea. I’ll leave it at that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to stop once stared.
But, following Pennsylvania’s logic, why not eliminate all taxes and services?
Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost.
Muddy
Biggest pain in the ass I ever dealt with when I lived in Chicago. I always felt like I had to pay to drive with all of the idiot drivers on the road. And, like Garrett, I always wondered what the toll was paying for. The people who were paid to sit there and take your money? Some fancy, spandankled system for auto-paying your toll? (Ha! Pardon the pun!)
There were more accidents in or around the toll booths than anywhere else on the expressways.
It’s bad enough that I now have to drive on I-40 every day to get to work. My stress level hits a peak at 8:00AM and it’s all downhill from there…
No, thank you.