Posted on 10/10/2017 5:17:00 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
You scoffed at the concept. The original concept worked OK. You’re adding in all the complexities of the government system which make it moot.
But then, I just read about a Texas “private” toll road that isn’t doing so well. Yes, right here on FR. So, not all private stuff is so perfect, either.
Good roads are only for the rich. Eventually there will be 6 lanes of toll toad and the gravel shoulder for the tax payers.
It’s called peon pavement.
Their lack of planning IS our emergency.
Now actually that’s not right. They got you where they want you. Ooops, didn’t know this was toll? Well, here’s your bill! Hiding it effectively so people don’t know they’ll be paying. Hence why toll booths are a good thing.
The only toll road in GA finally had its toll booths removed a couple years ago. “The 400” paid for itself, and of course the tolls were continued. Not quite sure what happened, but then the booths were aggressively & completely removed. Might have had something to do with one of the richest counties in the country making heavy use of that road, and the annoyance of having to stop to toss a quarter every time.
When I fly to Arkansas to see family I always rent a car. There is a toll road between where my one cousin lives and my aunt’s house. About a 45 minute drive. I take the old, twisty, curvy, scenic road. Winds up being about 10 minutes longer. shrug
We don’t have any toll roads in our small city yet and the ones down by LA are easily avoided. I hate when we go north to San Francisco area and you have to pay to cross a darn bridge. My brother finally moved so we don’t have to go there anymore.
Thanks. Good news I was unaware of.
Since the public PAYS FOR the construction of the roads, how then do they have to pay again for them in the form of tolls?
special toll lanes are primarily for government workers with government issued vehicles driving for free and not getting caught up in the gridlock which they have created.
total total bs.
That was actually a proposed public-public partnership. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority would take over and improve I-80 for about 50 years while sending about $900 million a year to PennDOT. This was enabled in 2007 by Act 44. However, the application to the feds to make I-80 a toll road failed with both the Bush and Obama administrations, but a clause in Act 44, which requires the PTA to give $450 million per year to PennDOT anyway, is still in effect. That was modified, however, by Act 89 so that it will drop to $50 million per year in 2023.
I observed the inner workings of Eddie Rendell personally and almost took a top job in his government until I did some research.
If the Republican AG at the time was not also as crooked (former in house legal counsel for Waste Management Inc) I would have given him my research. Instead I burnt it in my furnace.
On the other hand, how do you measure cost? Sitting in traffic surely has a substantial cost for most people. That cost varies widely between individuals.
LOL
I know what you mean.
I agree.
When I sit in traffic, I sometimes ponder the amount of gasoline being consumed each minute by cars in a mile long stretch of freeway.
In fact, I wonder if the city, county, or state office holders realize how many billions of dollars it burned up by this colossal waste of the public’s time.
Roads went a long time without being expanded. They were ripping us off. So it’s gas taxes, tolls, and wasted time because our overlords didn’t get off their asses and do something to help ease the traffic congestion.
In my region you can add in a massive number of additional cars, as illegals vie for road space along with us.
I have a hybrid, so I’m sitting there with my engine off, or using the battery for short stretches.
I may never make up the cost of the hybrid part of my car, but I have to tell you I’ve never been so relaxed when sitting in traffic either. In fact, at times I have a great big smile on my face. LOL
The Coronado Bridge in San Diego is toll free now. Was paid off in 1986 but then took 16 years before tolls stopped, 2002. Was completed in 1969 and was supposed to be toll free when bond was paid off.
A toll road and higher gas taxes. The road will be like those bridges. Never paid for and will fall into disrepair with politicians calling for “temporary” tax hikes to pay for the repairs. Repeat and repeat.
At $11.4 million a year in revenue, that stupid toll road on I-95 north of Baltimore will be fully paid off in only 131 years, assuming they got a really low zero interest loan and there’s no maintenance cost.
That thing is a joke. I’ll pick out a car that went on the toll road that runs parallel to the regular freeway and track it to the end. More often that not, It’ll be in sight either in front or behind me at the end and he’s out some cash and I’m not.
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