Home of the special people.
Sen. Delph has introduced SB 69 which would grant Marion County and surrounding areas a special exemption against having toll roads imposed on interstates in their areas. Specifically, it says that “tolls may not be imposed on vehicles for use of any interstate highway within a 15 mile radius of Monument Circle[.]” The privileged area is depicted in the image to the right.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t like toll roads any where. I think roads are infrastructure that have very general benefits and, as such, should be paid for out of public funds. Even if you aren’t driving on those roads, you are buying stuff that was transported on those roads. When I wrote my bicentennial series back in 2016, I was impressed by how much of the early history of the State was dominated by efforts to claw transportation infrastructure out of the frontier. I don’t like the idea of mucking up our existing system with a bunch of tolls. When Gov. Daniels sold off the Indiana Toll Road in northern Indiana, it struck me as a particularly bad idea since the money was being spent all over the state while the tolls were being paid only by the motorists in northern Indiana.
That said, the idea of declaring the people of Indianapolis off limits to tolling while everyone else in Indiana is fair game is galling. Every toll booth stop would start to feel like tribute to the Capitol. Just declare tolls off limits generally, and lets pay for our roads with a system of general taxation.
You mean tax ourselves to pay for the infrastructure? Are you sure we can’t find some way to slough it off onto poor people, like the lottery or some other gambling scheme? Indiana residents seem to believe that taking responsibility for infrastructure is beneath them unless we can bestow specialness onto a special group who deserve it. (See also vouchers.)
As a resident of the northwestern part of the state, where I-80, I-94, I-90 and I-65 are used by the whole country, I also find that galling. I-94 is so busy that it has five lanes in both directions, and constitutes the narrow strip that essentially connects the east and west side of the country. (Imagine the traffic jam at the toll booths!) I also find it particularly galling to declare Indianapolis residents to be the entitled ones with a scheme that would saddle the northwest with even more of the burden we now carry along with the burden of insults and nastiness people like to spread around. The message is clear that they want to stick northwest Indiana with most of the bill. That’s really offensive, but considering the one who has proposed this piece of crap legislation, I’m not surprised.
From a cost to serve basis I believe tolls make the most sense for all expressways and Interstates.
These highways should not be supported by a tax but rather a usage fee. The costs can be easily and equitably divided based on weight, time of day and cost of the road, right of way, construction and maintenance. This would have the same effect as general taxation but consumers of transport services would more equitably pay based on utilization and cost to serve vs an arbitrary general tax.
If you look at the history of transportation while the “Mode or way” was often donated by the Government the construction and maintenance were always paid for largely with private funding not public funding. Early roads, canals and railroads were built by private companies that charged tolls for use of service. With a toll system the cost of transport still makes its way to anyone who purchases any product or service they don’t produce on their own premises.
I believe this would force us to make better decisions as to when and where we add to the network. Having it on a pay as it is used basis the cash flow is always adequate delivering the actual cost just in time as you go.
The argument makes sense. The problem with assessing people according to usage is that, as we speak, the interstates I-94 and I-65 are loaded with 18-wheelers, to the point where a person driving a car feels dwarfed and surrounded. If these guys would stay on the interstates, they would easily pay for the wear and tear on those roads while the accessible 4-lane highways, like 41 and 30, would be used and paid for by the taxpayers. Once the interstates become toll roads, many more trucks find their way to “free” Hwy. 41 and 30, which are maintained by the taxpayers but torn up (more easily than the toll roads) by the 18-wheelers. It is more pleasant to drive on the interstate, but the taxpayer pays for local roads and the tolls. Right now, driving south on Hwy. 41 is great, and many times we can see no other vehicles at all, but that would certainly change with interstate tolls. That’s not so much of an argument against your point of view as it is a problem in implementation.
Am I the only one that, when Doug does this series, tries to guess the legislator behind the bill from the title?
(Delph has been vocal on this issue so not a surprise.)
Lets start by taxing electric and hybrid cars first. They are using less gas and thus get to use the roadways at a reduced tax that the rest of the gas guzzlers are paying.
The state has already begun that. Registering our 2018 Camry Hybrid was +$150, but unless there is a huge run on those things, that won’t pay for a lot of potholes, let alone re-paving. That $150 was no problem, because at 55 mpg, it’s paid for pretty quickly. But the State of Indiana works hard to punish people who want to conserve energy or produce alternative energy. They will find a way.
Of course we already raised gasoline taxes so lets see how that works out before starting a toll road slush fund.
Tolling these interstates will take time – because federal approval necessary, building the booths etc. I cab see investigating it, but I oppose tolls in general. But the idea that one part of the state would escape – that’s galling!! And Indy people are unlikely to find enough statewide votes to protect themselves.