Obama Administration proposes Interstate system to be tolled

[Texashiker]

I think US infrastructure should be a tool for improving OUR economy, not enrich foreign corporations on the backs of our low and middle classes.

Think about that next time you buy a smart phone.

But, two posts ago, you say that toll roads were caused by tax and spend democrats. Then when I point out that republicans in Texas are adding them all over the place, you claim it capitalism in action. Can you be just a little more disingenuous.

If I do not want to take a toll road in houston, I do not have to. I can get to any part of Houston I want without taking a toll road.

I lived near lake conroe for 4 years. During that 4 years I took a tool road 2 or 3 times.

Try moving a heavy load from florida to texas without using the highway system. For that matter, try driving from Texas to Florida without using the highway system.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

I take the Sam Houston Parkway (Beltway 8) toll road every work day and it saves me at least an hour each way. I gladly pay $1.45* per direction to make it to work quickly. The Sam Houston Parkway is maintained very well and has been upgraded to make travel easier.

Normal main lane toll $1.75, $1.45 for EZTAG holders.

 

[schmuckley]

4-30-2014

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/eeek-why-your-road-trip-might-cost-more-this-summer-84319792482.html

Obama Administration proposes Interstate system to be tolled



On Tuesday, the White House proposed a $302-billion transportation bill that could reverse the long-standing federal prohibition on interstate tolling, which has long kept the majority of the country’s 46,876-mile highway system free to drivers.


The bill would give states the freedom to enact tolls in order to raise revenue to pay for the maintenance of deteriorating transportation infrastructure.


“We believe that this is an area where the states have to make their own decisions,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told the Washington Post. “We want to open the aperture, if you will, to allow more states to choose to make broader use of tolling, to have that option available.”

Well,If they do that..are they going to remove taxes on fuel? Of which only 15% of the proceeds go to maintaining roads? and 85% goes to pork?

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/industry-economics/fuel-taxes/gasoline-tax

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/industry-economics/fuel-taxes/diesel-tax

1 truck driver buys 200 gallons of fuel at a time.

That proposal is total bullshit.

 

[Zorba]

Think about that next time you buy a smart phone.




If I do not want to take a toll road in houston, I do not have to. I can get to any part of Houston I want without taking a toll road.

I lived near lake conroe for 4 years. During that 4 years I took a tool road 2 or 3 times.

Try moving a heavy load from florida to texas without using the highway system. For that matter, try driving from Texas to Florida without using the highway system.

1) A smart phone isn't infrastructure.

2) You can get from Florida to Texas taking non-interstates, but it would suck. Just like you can drive all over DFW without getting on a tollway, but it sucks. Depending on where you are and were you want to go, avoid tolls in Texas can add a very significant amount of time and as they continue to add tolls and premium tolled lanes, this will only get worse. Florida already has tolls on many of their highways.

I am sorry that your own state proves that your original post was nothing but partisan drivel, and you are way too partisan to admit it. Keep blaiming the dems for tolls, while the republicans in Texas continue to add more tolls every single year until there isn't a completely free highway left in the state.

 

[chucky2]

Pay for use doesn't sound too bad to me. Wish they'd foster a toll system standard though to be used in all 50 states (not that HI needs it, but still), for example, that way different vendors can build to that standard and the iPass I have for Chicago area commuting will work when I take my trip out west.

This problem, if it is to be solved fairly to all, will need to be solved eventually. When electric vehicles are the norm, fuel tax receipts will go way down. Other than taking a % of tax from a tax on electric cars for road dues, what other solution could they put in place to pay for road upkeep?

Chuck

 

[Texashiker]

1) A smart phone isn't infrastructure.

It is still money going over seas.

Exporting jobs has an effect of less tax dollars. Instead of someone driving to work here in the states and buying fuel, chinese live in dorms.

2) You can get from Florida to Texas taking non-interstates, but it would suck. Just like you can drive all over DFW without getting on a tollway, but it sucks. Depending on where you are and were you want to go, avoid tolls in Texas can add a very significant amount of time and as they continue to add tolls and premium tolled lanes, this will only get worse. Florida already has tolls on many of their highways.

You are comparing the interstate highway system to state highways.

Something you are overlooking is the interstate highway system was partially built for national security. In times of emergency federal traffic such as military take priority.

Parts of the interstate highway system were built so planes could use the highway to land and launch off of. Out of so many miles, a certain amount has to be straight so it can be used to land a plane.

If the states are going to start collecting taxes, is the federal government going to ease its restrictions?

I am sorry that your own state proves that your original post was nothing but partisan drivel, and you are way too partisan to admit it. Keep blaiming the dems for tolls, while the republicans in Texas continue to add more tolls every single year until there isn't a completely free highway left in the state.

Dems have a long history of tax and spend. Just about every city and state in the nation that has had long term democrat control is going bankrupt.

 

[HumblePie]

So how do you feel about your very Red state of Texas adding tollroads like it is going out of style? Not to mention many of those new toll roads are now on long term lease to foreign companies/governments, so the tolls are going to Spain not Texas. Texas makes it even worse, since it appears that each metro area is under their own tolling department, each with their own toll-tag system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tollways_in_Texas

Use taxes and privately owned infrastructure is the wet dream of libertarians, and it looks like the tea partiers blocking all action in congress is going to get them their wish.

I grew up with Tolls in Oklahoma, and I accept them because they are fairly reasonable and it is one system across the whole state. Driving on tolls in other states is like I got a ~$18 bill from Colorado last year when I drove 1/4 of the way around the outer loop in Denver, one time, that is just crazy.

Uhh, all the toll roads are in the major metro towns were are completely D controlled. The only D controlled major metro town that is resisting toll roads is San Antonio.

Even when I lived in Houston though I avoided the toll roads. Never used them. You can get around perfectly fine without them.

 

[K1052]

Dems have a long history of tax and spend. Just about every city and state in the nation that has had long term democrat control is going bankrupt.

Houston, Dallas, and Austin all have Democratic mayors. :hmm:

 

[schmuckley]

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-g...s/gasoline-tax

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-g...xes/diesel-tax

You people need to look at these charts.These are the amounts that the state and federal government already charge per gallon of fuel.
Out of that money;only 15% goes to road work,and they loot 85% for pork-barrel projects.
I say:Lower the fuel tax rates by 80% and use the remaining 20% fully for its intended use.

 

[Texashiker]

Houston, Dallas, and Austin all have Democratic mayors. :hmm:

They are a cancer eating away at this glorious state.

Those three cities are a plot to strangle Texas and turn it blue.

 

[Orignal Earl]

I've never seen a toll booth

 

[K1052]

They are a cancer eating away at this glorious state.

Those three cities are a plot to strangle Texas and turn it blue.

Cities are a liberal conspiracy.

 

[glenn1]

Regressive taxes for the win.

Sadly, the comment about the fuel tax is spot on, so I don't see any way around this.

Damn straight, keep the peasants off the roads of us productive folk.

 

[MrPickins]

They are a cancer eating away at this glorious state.

Those three cities are a plot to strangle Texas and turn it blue.

It's always us vs them with you, huh?

True Texans realize that the entire state is great, not just the rural or urban areas...

 

[senseamp]

Should be paid for out of general revenue with progressive income taxes, not regressive tolls.

 

[schmuckley]

Should be paid for out of general revenue with progressive income taxes, not regressive tolls.

..should be paid for out of the taxes they're already charging for fuel.At least that's was the premise of passing the fuel tax in the 1st place "for the roads"

No new tax is necessary.They already squander 85% of the fuel tax.

 

[senseamp]

..should be paid for out of the taxes they're already charging for fuel.At least that's was the premise of passing the fuel tax in the 1st place "for the roads"

No new tax is necessary.They already squander 85% of the fuel tax.

Fuel tax is regressive.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Even when I lived in Houston though I avoided the toll roads. Never used them. You can get around perfectly fine without them.

It apparent you haven't lived in Houston in the past few years. The population has exploded and if you're not using toll roads to get around you can plan on sitting in traffic or crawling like a slug.

 

[hal2kilo]

Caused by politicians getting elected for lowering taxes. Nothing in this world is free.

 

[schmuckley]

Fuel tax is regressive.

Okay..and it's already in place.So you're saying we need a new tax for roads because we already have a tax for roads?

Or we need to tax the rich in addition to taxing everyone for the roads?

Not sure what your point of view is here.

 

[K1052]

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-g...s/gasoline-tax

http://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-g...xes/diesel-tax

You people need to look at these charts.These are the amounts that the state and federal government already charge per gallon of fuel.
Out of that money;only 15% goes to road work,and they loot 85% for pork-barrel projects.
I say:Lower the fuel tax rates by 80% and use the remaining 20% fully for its intended use.

A lot of stuff in the other 80% is important for the DOT. The Tea Party tried to whack mass transit funding last time around and the suburban republicans publicly broke ranks to prevent it. Increasing erosion of fuel tax revenue by higher mpg vehicles and inflation over the last 20 years since the taxes were raised has only been patched over with $40B in general rev funds over the past decade. A more holistic transportation policy and funding model needs to be agreed upon.

 

[schmuckley]

A lot of stuff in the other 80% is important for the DOT. The Tea Party tried to whack mass transit funding last time around and the suburban republicans publicly broke ranks to prevent it. Increasing erosion of fuel tax revenue by higher mpg vehicles and inflation over the last 20 years since the taxes were raised has only been patched over with $40B in general rev funds over the past decade. A more holistic transportation policy and funding model needs to be agreed upon.

It does NOT get used for anything DOT-related;It gets squandered.Good on the Tea party for trying to whack unnecessary taxes.

Fuel taxes get voted on every year.

 

[Jaepheth]

All because no politician has the balls to raise the fuel tax in any state, and we spend our money blowing up bridges in other countries, only to turn around and pay to rebuild them.

I actually think tolls and fuel tax should go away and replaced with a fee that is somehow proportional to vehicle weight and miles driven. I'd also be fine with getting rid of all regressive use taxes and replace them with progressive income tax. What we pay in income tax today should be plenty if we weren't wasting it on the NSA and a massively inefficient military.

Tax the sale of tires by weight or size.

Heavier vehicles need more/bigger tires, and people who run more miles go through tires faster.

 

[Zorba]

Tax the sale of tires by weight or size.

Heavier vehicles need more/bigger tires, and people who run more miles go through tires faster.

I like the idea, except there would be tons of people out there running on completely bald tires and crashing every time it rained

 

[K1052]

It does NOT get used for anything DOT-related;It gets squandered.Good on the Tea party for trying to whack unnecessary taxes.

Fuel taxes get voted on every year.

Yes, it does and no...not good on the Tea Party.

Proposals for fuel taxes may get voted on sometimes but they haven't actually gone anywhere in 20 years and have been a political non-starter for the last 10 at least.