Toll roads are nothing more or less than one more way to tax you. Actually floating bonds was brilliant. They got the money up front and now have you over the barrel to pay them off. No offense but you are exhibiting the precise mindset they were hoping you would.
The good people of your state pay out lots of Money in gas taxes. They shouldn’t have to pay off bonds too through tolls.
Now while you won’t be stopped to pay tolls, it really is different. You’re paying another fee on top of the gas taxes you already pay.
I think you’re being jobbed. Those tolls will never end. I’ll bet they’re still charging tolls on the turnpike from OKC to the Missouri line. They were charging those 45 years ago.
California has never been a big toll road state. Now they’re getting ready to put them on all our freeways. You can’t go anywhere without them here. This will cost everyone who works $100s of dollars per year.
Personally, I have no problem with it. The bonds were spent to build the highway, and the tolls are being used to pay off the bonds. There's no way to raid the tax revenues and use it for something else. And, the people that pay for it are the the ones that actually use the road.
I think you’re being jobbed. Those tolls will never end. I’ll bet they’re still charging tolls on the turnpike from OKC to the Missouri line. They were charging those 45 years ago.
Tolls were dropped on the road between Dallas and Fort Worth back in the 70's, after the bonds were paid off. It became Interstate 30.
However, tolls were not dropped on the Dallas North Tollway (originally from downtown Dallas to I-635) when those bonds were paid off. Instead, they have been continuing to extend it: it's now about 3 times the original length. The tolls for the original section are nearly the same amount as 30 years ago (as it just funds maintenance), but the newer sections cost more per mile.
California has never been a big toll road state. Now they’re getting ready to put them on all our freeways. You can’t go anywhere without them here. This will cost everyone who works $100s of dollars per year.
Adding tolls to existing roads (without substantial upgrades) is wrong. But, if the tolls are used to pay off bonds that fund expansion or creation of a new road, it's the only way you can get them built on a timely basis. The gas tax is spread over the entire state (or country), and it's simply not possible to get significant funding for a new road before congestion reaches a crisis stage.
Of course, the alternative is to raise the gas tax. But, it's still unlikely that a specific project will get full funding -- because everyone else will want a share.