i’m not a fan of “tolling authority”, just as I was not a fan of the privatised HOT lane idea that is coming here in northern virginia (which is a toll road, but is a self-selected toll road).
On self-selection — this is an idea that I think deserves consideration, I don’t want to dismiss it out of hand. When I was in California, they had roads that were like HOV, but were toll roads, and you could decide to use them or not, and the tolls changed depending on how crowded the main road was, so if you wanted to pay more and get somewhere faster, you could.
That is the idea for the HOT lanes here, except that they took existing roads paid for by taxpayers and handed them over to a private company and will allow them to collect money from non-HOV users.
Do people choose to live where they work? I don’t know in general, but I did, and when I got tired of my 15-minute commute, I moved closer and can walk or ride my bike if I want now. I’m blessed, probably, although I don’t remember being given a special magic wand to give me a good job and the ability to pick where I work and where I live.
I don’t do much down in the Hampton roads area, but when I do I always plan around that stupid I64 tunnel. If I’m on a business trip in Virginia Beach I make sure I get out in time to beat the traffic to the tunnel, or else I wait until late evening. I do a lot of travel at night to avoid traffic, but then you hit construction.
If the two tunnels serve a similar traffic corridor, it would benefit users of both to expand one and move some traffic out of the other. I don’t know if that is the plan, if not then they shouldn’t both be tolled.
I agree that toll roads can be a panacea, and a crutch. But I don’t think they are inherently liberal.
And again, I don’t like the tolling authority idea. I also don’t think that will survive the process, because the delegates don’t seem keen on it either. I guess we’ll see.
I will say that I’m extremely cautious right now about attacks on McDonnell. I don’t think he’s perfect, and I’ve complained about things he has done. But I also have seen some attacking him out of anger over his endorsement of Mitt Romney, and while I don’t support Romney this time around, I’m not targetting others for doing so.
My anger at McDonnell has nothing to do with his endorsement of Romney and everything to do with local issues. If you do back, you will see I have been critical for over a year. In all honesty, I think McDonnell has done an excellent job of bringing companies and jobs into the state and I think he is solid on social issues, so I don’t think he is all bad either, I just don’t think he is a solid all around conservative.
I on my third job since 2009. I live in Newport News in a house I bought in 2007. i got laid off in December of 2008 literally on the week my son was born. Out of necessity of being a productive citizen and paying my mortgage, I took a job in Virginia Beach as a complete career change. I was there until May 2011, when I voluntarily left and took my experience in my new career and got a new job with more money 4 miles from my house. Frankly, I don’t use the tunnels anymore anyway unless I am going to an ODU basketball game (I am a big fan and season ticket holder). The tolls won’t affect me much at all unless I am forced to find a new job again, but I am still against them. The people that use them pay the same gas tax as the people who commute to Williamsburg and don’t pay tolls and it will isolate and ruin what little of Portsmouth is still decent.