• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Federal Agency Pushes States to Toll Existing Roads

ReverendHellh0und

I don't respect you.
DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Messages
79,903
Reaction score
20,981
Location
I love your hate.
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Libertarian
Federal Agency Pushes States to Toll Existing Roads
Administration spends $10.5 million in taxpayer funds encouraging conversion of free roads into toll routes.


Federal Agency Pushes States to Toll Existing Roads


The Federal Highway Administration yesterday held out $10.5 million to bribe states into turning freeways into toll roads through fiscal 2011. As part of the so-called Value Pricing Program, which Congress introduced in 1991, the agency will take taxes paid by drivers at the pump and underwrite projects designed to charge motorists more for driving on existing roads or increase other fees imposed on drivers.

"These projects show that states are developing new ways of thinking about how to manage congestion," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement on projects selected in August.

Under the program, FHWA will select fifteen project proposals submitted by state departments of transportation and underwrite up to 80 percent of the cost of feasibility studies and implementation reporting. In August's funding round, for example, the Virginia Department of Transportation and Washington Council of Governments received $320,000 in taxpayer funds for a study of the "advancement of regional pricing in DC including pricing existing facilities." The Texas Department of Transportation received $2 million to promote a pay-per-mile insurance pilot programs designed to ease the public into acceptance of the concept of pay-per-mile road pricing. Of the total amount of money allocated, $2.6 million is set aside for "non-tolling" projects such as the use of congestion pricing at parking meters, a system that allows local authorities to charge higher rates for car owners during peak times.

Tolling of roads, especially of "existing facilities," is frequently criticized as creating so-called Lexus Lanes that force poor commuters to drive in traffic while the wealthy can pay for a quicker journey. To address this problem, the FHWA program will support the diversion of even more money from state and federal gas taxes toward complicated rebate systems or mass transit.




Gotta love when they use your own money to strong arm others to take more money from you. :roll:
 
Does this have anything to do with the fact that have massively failed to invest in our infrastructure?
 
Our maybe we can cut state government waste instead of cutting funding and raising taxes on roads. Prioritize and stop the extravagant handouts.
 
Seriously? This is your answer? Tell me how do non toll roads get fixed now?

As our highway system ages, expands, and traffic increases, it gets more and more expensive to maintain. You're going to end up paying for it one way or another.
 
As our highway system ages, expands, and traffic increases, it gets more and more expensive to maintain. You're going to end up paying for it one way or another.



so tolls?

that is your answer? Now, I have the ez pass and its not a significant amount for me even to notice, even though I live in the NYC metro area, that said, how about a poor family? how does this sort of 'new tax' help them?
 
Do you want your roads to remain intact or not?

Is that what fuel taxes and heavy road use taxes are for? If the government wasn't acting in such a converse manner to the ability of the private sector to create and sustain jobs, this wouldn't be an issue.
 
Seriously? This is your answer? Tell me how do non toll roads get fixed now?

Well, in Oklahoma at least in part by the revenue of the toll roads. If it weren't for the Federal Government we probably would have toll roads over the state and if we could have earlier we would have converted some of the "tax" roads into toll roads.
 
Gotta love when they use your own money to strong arm others to take more money from you. :roll:

I have always, always hated this. I want roads, fine. We used the government to create the infrastructure, fine. We pay them to maintain the roads, fine. But that's our money. They do the same damned thing with the drinking age. You don't take my money that I'm giving to keep roads and then give it back with rules attached to it. That is my money and I say maintain the roads; that's what they have to do then.
 
As our highway system ages, expands, and traffic increases, it gets more and more expensive to maintain. You're going to end up paying for it one way or another.

We are paying for it. Taxes on gas, on income, on license fees, etc. These are all collected to maintain the road. It's that they've already taken our money and now will withhold that money (thus putting the infrastructure at risk) less we comply with the rules they have added. That's not proper. And they're going to say there is some problem and take our money, part of which should be used for maintenance, and try to bribe States into agreeing with them. They're already paid, they need to do this job. Toll roads can be for private roads.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom