Posted on 07/23/2008 4:45:37 PM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
A Bay Area transportation commission took a step today toward creating an 800-mile network of toll lanes on parts of Highway 101 and other local freeways for car pools and drivers who pay a toll.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved a 25-year financing plan that allocates $6.1 billion for the lanes.
Transportation planners say the money for the project will come from the tolls collected from motorists who use the lanes.
The commission also approved a set of principles for developing the network. The profits from the toll lanes will be used to pay for express buses and other measures to reduce traffic congestion along the corridors where tolls would be collected.
The new High Occupancy Toll lanes would be free to car poolers during rush hour and open to other vehicles for a toll, which could vary by time of day.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
We need a tax on dumb ideas by commissions that should not exist.
We need to qualify an initiative that forbids this.
While we are at it, we can stipulate that all diamond lanes should be open to the taxpayers who paid for them in the first place, “EVERYONE”, and stipulate that all gas taxes must be spent on highway upkeep and nothing else.
This state’s leadership is out of control.
A “user” tax is by definition a fairer tax. I don’t support raising taxes (’cept on cigarettes), but *IF* there has to be a tax, user taxes are the way to do it.
There isn't enough intelligent people in Kalifornia. These nitwits here are the highest percent of brain dead in the US.
Except we already pay a HUGE Gas Tax to pay for this stuff AND the roads are already built! They were built as freeways - note the term FREEway.
Time to call Sacramento and SCREAM!
Except we already pay a HUGE Gas Tax to pay for this stuff AND the roads are already built! They were built as freeways - note the term FREEway.
Time to call Sacramento and SCREAM!
When all else fails, try reading the article. The project converts existing HOV lanes to HOV/carpool lanes, and adds lanes where they don't exist. No one will have to pay for anything they don't have to pay for now.
Hopefully California doesn’t collect what they expect from taxing cigarettes so they can tax something you like. All taxes suck!
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