Consider tolls a user fee

After seeing all the rhetoric around tolls, I am afraid we are missing an opportunity that just makes too much sense to pass up.

Everyone agrees to these basic facts:

1. Autos, trucks, buses and other vehicles that use the roads are going to continue to be a main source of transportation over the foreseeable future.

2. We need a transportation plan that includes the repair, maintenance and possible growth of our road infrastructure.

3. We have a major congestion problem in the state. 4. We need a way for out-of-state vehicles driving through our state to share in the cost of this road infrastructure.

These should be the priority goals of any toll plan. With the technology available today, a well-developed toll plan can provide a solution to all of these issues creating an “Intelligent Toll Plan.” This plan would require putting toll monitoring points at each entrance and exit on our highways. This is key because with the gains being made in technology, building the correct infrastructure today positions us to be able to implement application improvements that are developed in the future.

The main argument against tolls is that we are already taxed to the extreme and this is just another way for the state to generate more money to spend. First, it is imperative that our legislators all agree that tolls are considered User Fees and that all money raised from tolls goes toward supporting transportation costs only. Second, whatever revenues are projected to come from tolls, a corresponding decrease in taxes is implemented to offset the additional revenues raised for use on our highways. These two points are significant, and legislators would have to convince the public this can be done. Currently, we have no trust that the state will not start robbing money from this revenue stream.

Why does “Intelligent” tolling make so much sense? The answer is with the technology available today you can create an “Intelligent Toll Plan.” By this I mean a toll plan can be developed that sets toll pricing based on a set of variables. For tolling the four basic variables would be: distance; vehicle class (weight and size); vehicle registration state; time of day/traffic conditions. With just these four variables and the toll monitoring points in place you start realizing the opportunities

If you use a bus, a train, or a taxi there is a fee for that. So, tolling becomes a user fee for use of the highways.

are there to develop a plan that addresses the primary goals set above.

Distance traveled is the variable used by most tolls today. With the additional monitoring points, it takes this developing pricing strategies to a new level. For example, you can create a strategy that says traveling under 20 miles is toll free (or instead of miles use number of exits crossed). The second variable, vehicle class, is also used today but coupled with the increased capabilities of the distance variable, it greatly improves the flexibility for creating a fair pricing scheme.

The third variable, vehicle registration state, is most significant. Some estimates show that out-of-state vehicles would now pay around 40 percent of the total toll plan. Look at the impact. If it was determined that the toll plan forecast to generating $500 million, then $200 million would come from vehicles that have up to now gotten a “free ride.” The result is taxes for everyone could be reduced (for example reduce the income tax rate from 4 percent to 3.6 percent) and the in-state vehicle plan would only have to contribute $300 million.

For the last variable, time-of-day/traffic conditions, intelligent tolling is helpful to reducing congestion on our highways. Congestion is a huge problem for many urban areas. It will take road construction and redesign coupled with an intelligent toll plan to allow us to meet and support the future traffic demand on our roads. It is successfully being used in other areas on the eastern seaboard.

In summary, using our highways and roads is the only way you can travel without some sort of user fee. If you use a bus, a train, or a taxi there is a fee for that. So, tolling becomes a user fee for use of the highways. It makes sense because you now have a revenue avenue that is directly related to the cost of providing that service. It will give people more travel choices and impact people’s decision on what form of transportation they choose to use. It would be a shame if we did not take advantage of this opportunity.