Thread: N.C. bill seeks to add toll roads

N.C. bill seeks to add toll roads 8:36 AM
I-485, Monroe Bypass could be candidates
08:36 AM EDT on Friday, July 7, 2006
By RICHARD RUBIN / The Charlotte Observer

Some of the Charlotte region's freeways might not be free forever.
State legislators may soon allow tolls on certain existing roads, significantly expanding the pay-as-you-drive concept in North Carolina.
The state Senate passed a bill last week that would let the N.C. Turnpike Authority charge drivers on highways "contiguous" with toll roads, if that would make the toll road financially feasible.
Since 2002, the turnpike authority has explored toll roads, an increasingly popular option for states trying to keep up with population growth. Until now, the authority's work has been limited to planning new highways and bridges, because state law prohibits tolls on existing free roads.
But the bill, sponsored by Sen. Clark Jenkins, D-Edgecombe, would loosen that restriction. "We as a state, counties, municipalities, the whole works, are short a lot of cash," he said.
No decisions have been made on individual projects, but the bill seems to allow tolls on roads such as Interstate 485 and the planned Monroe Bypass in eastern Union County.
The proceeds could help build the region's two proposed toll projects: the Monroe Connector in western Union County and the Garden Parkway in southern Gaston and western Mecklenburg.
Jenkins' bill, which passed 47-1, moves to the House. It's still unclear whether the House will consider the bill before adjourning.
Other states have been using toll roads for decades, and 35 have some form of toll road, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. But so far, North Carolina has none.
The turnpike authority is studying seven projects statewide, and both in the Charlotte region are still years away from construction. A consultant is trying to project the potential revenue from tolls and the cost of construction.
Many toll projects cannot pay for themselves, leaving a gap between the amount of money collected from drivers and the cost of building, operating and maintaining the road. That's where Jenkins' bill comes in, providing a faster way to get toll roads built.
On Thursday, Charlotte transportation director Jim Humphrey told a group of local planners that the law, if it passes, could help build the Monroe Connector.
Here's how: The state Department of Transportation has money set aside to build the first two sections of the Monroe Bypass, a long-awaited road that would relieve traffic on Union County's congested U.S. 74.
Those first two sections in eastern Union -- which would run from Marshville to U.S. 601 north of Monroe -- are scheduled to start construction in 2007.
But without the connector -- or a final bypass section that doesn't have state money yet -- the new highway would dump traffic onto U.S. 601 for decades. That is causing delays, because the federal government will hold up the project unless the bypass has a logical endpoint.
Tolls on the eastern sections of the bypass could create more money for the connector and help it get built faster.
But Larry Helms, an N.C. Board of Transportation member from Union County, wants the bypass built as a free road.
"For 22 years, we've tried to get a bypass around Monroe, and you've got to put your stake in the ground somewhere," he said. "Our stake in the ground is (the bypass) in the conventional method."
Helms isn't opposed to tolls. In fact, he recently suggested tolls to help complete Interstate 485 in northeastern Mecklenburg. On I-485, he said, new lanes could have tolls, allowing drivers who want to move faster to pay while giving all drivers an option.
Jenkins said the state is not trying to force tolls on residents, and that local officials would help decide whether tolls are necessary.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/sto ... f8cc9.html

No Toll Roads. They end up costing us more and spreading out. Many states are doing this now. In Chicago, a Spanish COmpany has control over their toll roads. Enough already.

Yep.....those toll roads cause a major headache here. Alot of the semi-drivers avoid the tolls and that puts a real stress on the off roads. Not to mention alot of regular drivers avoiding them.

that avatar is tough crazybird
That one got my attention
What is it?

Ostrich. Kind of looks a bit dazed and confused as I am most the time. Plus they stick their heads in the sand and felt like that's what I've been doing for too long.

Toll Roads, God do I hate them. Oklahoma has had them as long as I can remember. Oklahomans went to the polls last year and defeted a gasoline hike tax of 5 cents a gallon to construct new bridges, now less then a year later they found a unique way of getting that money from the people anyway. In order to go to Paris Tx from my small town in okla, most people would take the toll road out of Antlers Ok, a matter of about 20 miles to the Paris exit which cost 50 cents. Much to my surprise when last I was bebooping on down to Paris to do some shopping, I threw my 50 cents into the basket, waiting for the green light, nothing happened,set there like an idiot waiting patiently, finally looked over and lo and behold, the price of the 20 mile drive had risen to a whooping $1.75, pissed me off so bad, I told them to give my money back, got off and drove the 2 lane country road instead, I would cut off my nose to spite my face, for the principal of the thing! So get ready people if the gov. can't get it one way they will get it in another way. I think toll roads all across America are going to be the new wav to get taxes out of people.