Posted on 12/09/2017 9:02:49 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Drivers in metro Washington, D.C. are experiencing the new realities of commuting in the U.S., and it’s not pretty: It cost drivers $40 to drive 10 miles on I-66, a main commuter route into the nation’s capital from the western suburbs in Northern Virginia, at one point this week.
Is this the future for private car owners across the U.S.? The answer is yes.
Tolls on public roads aren’t new. But the I-66 toll, which fluctuates based on demand and doesn’t have a ceiling, is by far the most expensive per mile.
This toll at “the peak of the peak rate” reached $34 to drive those 10 miles on express lanes inside the Beltway on Dec. 4, the first day of the new tolls. It then hit $40 at one point during the morning commute a day later. In the next two days, morning tolls peaked at $23.50 and at $25.50. Pricing changes every six minutes during rush hour, or from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eastbound and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. westbound on weekdays, the only time they are imposed. Those who carpool, with at least one other person, can drive for free.
The sticker shock felt by these drivers is not an outlier; it’s like a harbinger of the future.
Across American, government is facing the reality of a big revenue deficit at a time of huge spending needs for roads. As our roads get older and busier, they need replacement, improvement and much more maintenance. And that’s expensive.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
And we think illannoy is bad? Our tolls would be about 1/20th of that. Screw NOVA.
"Le Pétomane was the stage name of the French flatulist (professional farter) and entertainer Joseph Pujol (June 1, 1857 – 1945). He was famous for his remarkable control of the abdominal muscles, which enabled him to seemingly fart at will. His stage name combines the French verb péter, "to fart" with the -mane" — WikipediaMel Brooks was a student of history.
Because our betters in government are doing it.
We have been told that gas tax money is dedicated to road maintenance. Is this not true?
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In Pennsylvania, “road maintenance” means one of two things.
1. An endless project to fix a road, which can take many months and always involves several workers standing around another who’s half-heartedly “working.”
2. Throwing rocks in a pothole (maybe with a little sticky gunk) and hoping for the best.
The American workplace needs to change.
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Just like when a weather situation or a ‘shut down’, the Govt ends up paying for the time missed, and at times order ‘non essential’ personnel to stay home.
Now if that word ever came out and I had been on 12 months sick leave (whatever) I would come to work because ONE DAY some one is going to figure out NON ESSENTIAL means NON ESSENTIAL ie - Don’t really need your hind parts taking up space and oxygen and DOLLARS out of my profit so we will streamline and send all the NON ESSENTIALs home for good.
Government is the only business where you don’t have to show a profit etc even though they will ‘shut you down’ because your business doesn’t show a profit.
Anytime you have to hire more people to determine whether you should hire more people, then hire more people to shut down the people who decided to hire more people, you are just marking time.
Like the man once said...
‘BLESSED ARE THOSE THAT RUN IN CIRCLES, FOR THEY SHALL BE KNOWN AS WHEELS’.
“Those who carpool, with at least one other person, can drive for free.”
With that kind of pricing, having only one passenger should get just a 33% price reduction, instead of being free. Then with two passengers a 66% reduction and finally free with three or more passengers. How to police that? No idea. LOL
They have motorcycle cops on the side and they have seen it all. The only dummies who do that are behind the wheel.
Worse. In a rental car (tourist OR business) you pay an extra 4.95 per day for the “privilege “ of using the radio EZ pass to pay tolls, up to 25.00 per trip. Otherwise, pay cash at each toll booths.
With that kind of pricing, having only one passenger should get just a 33% price reduction, instead of being free. Then with two passengers a 66% reduction and finally free with three or more passengers.
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You keep bringing common sense arguments around here and you will surely make ‘enemies’.....<: <: <:
The Republicans that run Georgia love toll roads.
Oh, wait. Democrats thought this one up. Never mind.
“Those who carpool, with at least one other person, can drive for free. “
That’s unfair. Should be more passengers required- 2 or 3.
Or half-price.
I wonder if a car-carrier rig could make a buck...
Fifteen years ago it was said 1 in 8 people in the US were illegal. Imagine what that number is today. Ya think the problems with our infrastructure just might be the large number of illegals? Deport them and we might not have to build new schools and hospitals and we might have enough drinking water and our roads might not have to have so much maintenance.
The same outrageous toll rates. Those $15/hr burger flippers need another raise. They make $120 gross per 8 hour shift so say $20 of that is taken out leaving $100 per day take home. Subtract $80 round trip to work for tolls so they only have $20 at the end of the day which isn't enough to get them to work the next morning.
What ten miles are subject to the toll?
Are all 5 lanes subject to toll or just the extreme left lane?
Across American, government is facing the reality of a big revenue deficit at a time of huge spending needs for roads. As our roads get older and busier, they need replacement, improvement and much more maintenance. And that’s expensive.
...
Why does it cost so much more now than it once did?
Don’t kid yourself. You’re paying for it whether you use it or not.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think politicians and their friends steal most of the money intended for roads.
In Austin, TX, it’s the same. First, you can’t pay me enough to drive to Austin. Second, I’d rather take the free roads and sit in traffic adding an extra 5-10 minutes to my trip than pay $40 to go 11 miles.
Years ago I saw an article (NOT on cnn, so it might have been true) that I66 inside the beltway cost $11 Million per mile to build. Probably $20 Million in today’s dollars.
Whaaa, can’t force prisoners to work. That’d be like, uh, slavery or something!
There’s a county jail near me that takes a work crew out. There is a no smoking policy but the guard buys cigarettes with his own money to bribe them to work. Most inmates still sit around doing nothing and some can’t be bothered to get out of the van. When the local ladies clubs bring them pizza as thanks for cleaning up the parks, they make rude sounds and talk loudly what they’d like to do to the ladies. Guards aren’t allowed to discipline or write up reports on the slime ball punks.
My office is connected to my house, I can travel for the most part during non-peak hours.
But this is flat out stupid.
Lack of roads is causing heavy traffic.
Government is the problem and taxing the f&$% out of people who paid for that road with their tax dollars is not the answer.
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