Posted on 09/13/2010 8:15:34 AM PDT by Willie Green
WASHINGTON - Imagine having to pay to travel on most of the major roads in the region.
The idea creating 1,650 miles of "variably priced" lanes on Capital Beltway, Interstates 270, 66 and 95, Route 50, the George Washington Parkway and others, is being floated as a "what-if" scenario by area transportation officials.
"Congestion is a major threat to the economic vitality of the region and the quality of life its residents enjoy," says a new report from the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.
Charging a variable toll to drive major commuter routes would increase speeds 15 mph to 20 mph on average, according to estimates. Officials say that widespread tolls would help minimize their overall cost.
"This is not a proposal, it's a 'what if' study that provides very interesting insight into the implications of tolling for our region," says Arlington County Board Member Chris Zimmerman.
The report emphasizes that this analysis is "designed to elicit discussion, not to provide conclusive answers."
Other "what if" scenarios explore the expansion of bus service, changing patterns of development and the impact of workers moving closer to their jobs.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board meets Wednesday to discuss the report.
Perhaps...but it sounds an awful lot like proposals to force people to the city.
What do they expect people to do? NOT drive to work? Not everyone lives 3 minutes from a Metro stop!
How about that we test this idea on registered Democrats and democrat lobbyists who live or work in the capital area?
These self-centered governmental morons will do ANYTHING to get more money for their lame-brained ideas and programs. Haven’t people already “paid” to build and use the roads????????? Vote out their masters. Starve the beast.
Not everyone lives 3 minutes from a Metro stop!
Even a 20 minute drive to Metro is better than 45 minutes stuck in gridlock.
This is another idiot scheme cooked up by Socialists to force people into behavior they approve of. The proponents of this 'plan' should be dragged into the streets, tarred and feathered, and then run out of town on a rail.
when we buy gas, when we register our cars, tolls, etc.
Unless stopped, the socialists won't stop until they get 90% of our income in taxes and fees. THEY, who produce NOTHING, and get double and more in their pay checks and the very best of benefits - all paid from OUR POCKETS look upon OUR paychecks as THEIR money -
‘tis a puzzlement.
Fixed.
Transportation i.e. efficient - and ACCEPTABLE TO USERS - means of moving people and goods seems to be well down the list of priorities to these so-called officials. Instead, they pursue one square-peg-round-hole 'solution' after another.
The idea creating payment to tax payers to file, is being floated as a "what-if" scenario by officials.
There fixed it!
Correct-a-mundo. It's also called Registration fees. We already pay for the roads 20 different ways.
In case you haven't noticed, WG is a proponent of the UN proposal Agenda 21 to do exactly that.
Thats what all of his choo choo articles are about.
This sound like a conservative?
“The “invisible hand” also provides us with the world's most diseased prostitutes, the most violent drug dealers and the most bizarre perverts and pornographers.
"Thank God our Founding Fathers empowered our Federal Government to place restraints on the savage excesses of a “market economy””
The ONLY thing this would do is create heavy traffic on side streets resulting in lots more road construction to widen streets ( do I smell more union pay-offs? )
It just shows how brilliant the folks that plan road construction projects are: “Let’s work on every single road at the exact same time!”
Oh wait - It’s an election year, so in reality it’s just another ploy to make the taxpaying suckers think their tax dollars are actually being used for something instead of paying for illegal aliens and their anchor babies.
Instead the Progressive Fascist political machine can simply quit skimming money off those funds to pay for their "green" mass transit schemes.
If these "Mass Transit" schemes are so desirable, they should be justifiable to the votes as stand alone projects instead of being the hidden parasites living off the gas tax fund.
Growth of centralized government means increased traffic congestion for DC.
What is the traffic like in DC on a day that is a Federal holiday?
How about we just cut down the size of government and all those bureaucrats to ease the traffic problems?
People are now considered a sort of tolerated infection or parasite on government. We exist at their pleasure only insofar as useful to the collection of revenue.
BEST CASE scenario, it would work like this:
At first, 30% or so of drivers who have an alternate route will take it, or take public transport, relieving some traffic on the highway in question.
The other 70% have no other viable choice and are asked to bend over and pay.
After a few months of “traffic is so much better now,” the other 30% will decide it’s worth it to pay the toll, and start doing so, making the road congested again.
Voila. Traffic still bad, and government coffers now full of toll cash.
Firing 2/3 of the bureaucrats would solve ALL their congestion problems.
We pay through the nose now, it’s caklled GAS TAXES, ?State and Federal!
They are probably higher now but in 1974 they were 86% from ground to pump!!
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