xj0hnx
Diamond Member
- Dec 18, 2007
- 9,262
- 3
- 76
No, just the people that went to the hearings. No chance that the proponents filled the hearings with their supporters.
No, just the people that went to the hearings. No chance that the proponents filled the hearings with their supporters.
That's because no one uses the roads except a badger crossing the road maybe once a week.
Red Dawn
Elite Member
- Jun 4, 2001
- 57,529
- 3
- 0
IL will just keep going down their disastrous path, perhaps it's a good thing for the rest of us, because the population can heed the warning and not do the same in other states.
rudder
Lifer
- Nov 9, 2000
- 19,441
- 86
- 91
State DOT's get federal matching funds... 80 cents of every dollar spent by a DOT comes from the Federal government (may vary a little from state to state). Many states have figured out ways to siphon this money away from actual road repair.
K1052
Elite Member
- Aug 21, 2003
- 52,622
- 46,294
- 136
I don't see what Metra really has to gain. None of their lines stand to benefit from substantially increased ridership during the proposed projects. The MD-W line from Big Timber might see some more riders when construction starts down the 90 corridor but its not going to be anything earth shattering since most of those people already take Metra if it's an option.
The Tollway system doesn't get any support from taxes the feds to everything has to be funded by bonding and paid off by revenue collection done by the Authority itself.
Also since the tollways don't actually go all the way downtown before switching into freeways a car driver never actually pays the entire cost of their trip. Now, who's up for tolling the Kennedy? :sneaky:
As proven in all areas of the country, the higher you make the tolls the less people use the toll ways.
Here in Dallas, toll rates increase and tollway usage decreases at an equal rate. Yet the tards in control can't seem to put 1 and 1 together.
I won't use the toll roads anymore because it simply isn't economical to pay $1.50 to go 2 miles, when I can do it on regular streets and it only takes 3 minutes longer.
No, the population just moves to another state until they have the numbers to vote in the same kind of clowns that ruined the last place they were in.
Just wait until they start ripping up the highways and traffic comes to a screeching halt - well, more than it already does. They'll see increased revenue, it's all but impossible for them not to.
Good. I like this model, as it's fair: Those who use it, pay for it. Those who don't use it, don't. Nothing can be more fair than that.
In a perfect world, there'd be a gov entity that shared their data with no one, that had a GPS tracker on your car with a cell hookup for data polling, and you'd sign up to be billed monthly, quarterly, or yearly for your road usage. Since that will never, ever, happen, the next best thing is tolls. Given the amount of non-IL traffic, and the amount of traffic, I can't see the Kennedy being tolled. Maybe they could just iPass it for IL drivers, and everyone else gets away free? I'd be down with that...
Chuck
I've traveled cross country and those tolls are really low but they're stupid because you have to stop every 3 miles to pay another toll. It adds up and wastes my time. The one coming in from Ohio, over Indiana, around the lake though was pretty fast and efficient vs the clogged roads that go through and circle the city.
To those saying "They raise the tolls and less people use the roads" I hate to break it to you but that's the whole point. In CA for example we have certain toll roads and they're relatively expensive. There are not that many people on them compared to the neighboring freeway. However that's great. Rather than sit in traffic for 90-120 minutes I can get to my destination in 20-25 minutes. People will pay for that luxury.
To those saying "They raise the tolls and less people use the roads" I hate to break it to you but that's the whole point. In CA for example we have certain toll roads and they're relatively expensive. There are not that many people on them compared to the neighboring freeway. However that's great. Rather than sit in traffic for 90-120 minutes I can get to my destination in 20-25 minutes. People will pay for that luxury.
K1052
Elite Member
- Aug 21, 2003
- 52,622
- 46,294
- 136
The new capital program runs through 2026, they aren't going to do everything at once. Metra serves the suburbs pretty well so if your job is downtown you're already using it. It might see some modest gains from some marginal drivers but I'm not seeing them rake in substantially more cash than in the past.
Oh, I realize that. No one ever accused IL construction of being done all at once. We already know its spread out over years.
As far as Metra: Metra needs less long trains, more frequency, less stops for some of the more frequent trains. If one is going downtown from the burbs, at rush hour, then Metra is a viable option. If one is going downtown from the burbs, at any other time, as long as you have time to waste, Metra is a viable option. Of course, with this option, you get to sit with people who can't cover their nose/mouth when they sneeze/cough, get to be crammed in with someone because the seats don't have enough spacing (unless you are smaller, and have a smaller neighbor next to you), get to make sure you're at the station at least 5 minutes in advance (on Metra's schedule) so as to make sure the conductor doesn't leave early (while sometimes looking at the people coming up the stairs and onto the platform as the train sits there, and then does nothing, as the train pulls away 10-15 seconds later), etc. etc.
Metra is about balance really...balancing using Metra, vs. your own car + spending more money.
As far as Metra: Metra needs less long trains, more frequency, less stops for some of the more frequent trains. If one is going downtown from the burbs, at rush hour, then Metra is a viable option. If one is going downtown from the burbs, at any other time, as long as you have time to waste, Metra is a viable option. Of course, with this option, you get to sit with people who can't cover their nose/mouth when they sneeze/cough, get to be crammed in with someone because the seats don't have enough spacing (unless you are smaller, and have a smaller neighbor next to you), get to make sure you're at the station at least 5 minutes in advance (on Metra's schedule) so as to make sure the conductor doesn't leave early (while sometimes looking at the people coming up the stairs and onto the platform as the train sits there, and then does nothing, as the train pulls away 10-15 seconds later), etc. etc.
Metra is about balance really...balancing using Metra, vs. your own car + spending more money.
It is a Democrat utopia that has almost no unemployment (0% is an impossibility), great standards of living for all social classes - in fact, everyone is middle class, because every one is so equal, zero pollution, perfect racial diversity, and a school system with the best taught, best educated, and hence highest scoring kids.
I'd have thought this was common knowledge...
BoberFett
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 37,562
- 9
- 81
This is actually a good thing. It's a use based tax, those who use it pay for it. It's as close to free market as a government project can get.
trenchfoot
Lifer
- Aug 5, 2000
- 15,786
- 8,366
- 136
Makes me wonder if anything would change IRT toll policy if a Repub admin took over in that state, other than whose politically connected friends would benefit from the toll proceeds.
Except if you read their financial reports, they don't even make enough (not by a long shot) to cover their annual debt service on the bonds they sold to finance previous construction.
Maybe they should focus on making the system self-sustaining to begin with, as the plan was decades ago, instead of borrowing more money to ship to already proven failures of construction companies that will draw out the construction as long as possible.
Also note, that "many" of the people that spoke in support of the plan at the 15 forums were members of the construction community. I wonder why?
No, a true conservative favors paying for the roads with large increases in the military budget and more loans from China.
Nope. There would still be a toll increase and it would probably be larger. Aside from that, the only difference would be that a different set of well connected cronies would get a cut. Oh, and they'd cut education spending on the same bill.
No. A true conservative would use tax dollars that every person would have to pay, then bid out to at least 4 private companies (half of which must be non-union) and select the best value/quality of work. Also bonuses for on time and under budget/bid.
The only thing that distinguishes the retards in Illinois from the retards here in California is that California still doesn't have toll roads (it does make you pay to cross a stupid bridge though).
I'm a conservative and do bid out many large scale cable build outs, that's how I do it.
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