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Obama wants to charge tolls on Interstate Highways


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Obama Proposes Tolls On Interstate Highways To Help Fund $302 Billion Transportation Plan

Posted by Joe For America on May 1, 2014 in Email, Politics, Taxes

If the Obama administration has its way, the nation’s freeways could soon become a bit less ‘free.’

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The president sent a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan to Congress on Tuesday, hoping to jump-start a national debate on how to repair and replace the nation’s aging infrastructure while accommodating the needs of a growing population.

One of the suggestions: Charging tolls on the country’s interstate highways.

Action is urgently needed because the federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to run dry by late August, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Unless Congress acts to shore up the fund, transportation aid to states will be held up and workers laid off at construction sites across the country, he said.

Lawmakers in both parties have been reluctant to raise the 18.4 cent a gallon federal gasoline and 24.4 cent diesel taxes, the trust fund’s main source of revenue. The last time they were raised was 1993. Meanwhile, two decades of inflation has driven up the cost of construction, while revenue has lagged because Americans are driving less and cars are more fuel efficient.

‘The only way we’re going to fix this is if everyone puts their ideas on the table and has an honest discussion on how to find common ground,’ Foxx told reporters.

The bill would also encourage states to directly raise more money for transportation projects by loosening restrictions on tolling federal interstates. States are barred from tolling federal interstates now except if the money is used to add lanes or otherwise increase capacity, or if the highways have had tolls dating back to before the federal interstate highway program was launched in 1956. There have also been some limited pilot projects that permit tolling.

H/T DailyMail


Read more at http://joeforamerica.com/2014/05/obama-proposes-tolls-interstate-highways-help-fund-302-billion-transportation-plan/#kxHb44zcacDZXYPC.99

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When I was driving across europe last year, tolls were a very common occurrence - made the whole trip a lot more expensive! But seriously, you haven't had a tax rise on fuel in 20+ years? That may be why the money's running out.

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When I was driving across europe last year, tolls were a very common occurrence - made the whole trip a lot more expensive! But seriously, you haven't had a tax rise on fuel in 20+ years? That may be why the money's running out.

We have state toll roads but nothing on the federal highways. We worried more about bailing out bankers than building infrastructure.

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Sweet fucking christ. No wonder so many over there just use public transportation.

 

It would definitely encourage more people to take the bus to work if they raised the Tax on Gas, but that is not going to happen. Raising gas prices will get to many people upset, but they will need to get the money to pay for it somewhere, either cutting other projects or increasing revenue from Toll Roads or another source.....

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Sweet fucking christ. No wonder so many over there just use public transportation.

Not really - it's only London where everyone takes public transport. Everywhere else people drive, though not as ubiquitously as in the states.

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Not really - it's only London where everyone takes public transport. Everywhere else people drive, though not as ubiquitously as in the states.

 

 

Its a different culture, our cities and towns are designed more with the car in mind and more open space(lower population density) then most European countries.

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Action is urgently needed because the federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to run dry by late August, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

 

gee when you libs are busy pilfering the funds set aside for the original purpose.....

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