Future of Roads Funding…a “Toll Poll”.
A recent report by the Platte Institute for economic research has suggested that Nebraska explore the use of using Public/Private Partnerships in order to fund some future road construction and/or maintenance projects. In a nutshell, PPPs allow the Government to contract with private companies with a long term lease in order to build and/or maintain a stretch of road. The company does so with the agreement that they can charge a toll in order to recover their costs. Over 20 states now engage in PPPs and if you’ve driven much in Colorado or Illinois, you have seen tolls. The future of roads funding is in trouble in Nebraska and our State needs new, creative ways to fund the future of roads. Decreased driving, increased fuel efficiency, and increasing construction costs have put Nebraska at a crossroads. We simply can’t continue to fund roads through the existing mechanisms available to us. PPPs offer an interesting alternative. I would like to hear your feedback on this issue through a “toll poll”. Would you support a PPP in Nebraska?
Colby,
I would be in favor of tolls if and only if it meant taxes which currently go to fund road construction and maintenance would be reduced to compensate. If tolls were proposed without being coupled to an associated reduction or elimination of taxes which currently fund those roads, then I would be strongly opposed.
-Andy Ringsmuth
Presumeably with less State money needed because of tolls, the gas tax which automatically adjusts, would go down. This could mean a reductionof the State Motor Vehicle Tax which is one of the highest in the country. I bet many people see it like you do.
They could be placed anywhere, but to attract the private sector who hopes to make money, the tolls would be on the Eastern part of the State. They will go where the traffic is heaviest.
You have a good point. The study that suggested it did not address whether driving would decrease as a result of tolls.
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