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Tolls

TCA supports the objective of a toll-free National Highway System.  Fuel taxes and other existing highway user fees are efficient, effective, and commonly accepted methods for collecting revenues for the maintenance and expansion of highways.  If toll financing is determined to be inevitable, TCA will continue to oppose tolling and will advocate that the toll plan should incorporate the following attributes:

• Toll collections should be limited to and fully cover only the debt-service related costs of construction, reconstruction, and maintaining the associated toll facility.
• If tolls are imposed on an existing Interstate Highway, an amount of federal-aid highway revenue equivalent to the toll revenues collected on the highway should be withheld from the state where the toll revenue is collected and redistributed annually to the remainder of the states.
• Toll financing should only be used for construction of new highways; upgrading of existing non-Interstate roads to highways with significantly greater capacity and safety benefits; construction of new lanes on existing highways, provided the existing lanes remain toll-free and open to all vehicles that were allowed to use the highway prior to the capacity expansion; or conversion of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.
• Toll collections should not be used for the extension of bonded indebtedness or for the creation of new indebtedness for other facilities.
• Truck size and weight limits allowed on toll facilities should be grandfathered.
• The use of toll roads should be voluntary. Trucks should not be restricted from operating on non-toll highways that could serve as alternative routes to toll roads.
• The impacts on toll facility revenues should not be a factor when decisions are made with regard to improvements to alternative routes.
• As quasi-private enterprises, toll facilities should be allowed to offer productivity improvements to attract commercial vehicle customers.
• The payment of all highway user taxes, in addition to tolls on the toll highways, constitutes double payment for the use of these facilities.  State highway user taxes should be eliminated on toll facilities.
• Programs designed to reduce congestion through assessment of fees for use of roads during peak travel periods attempt to discourage travel rather than increase mobility.  Weigh scale by-pass fees and congestion pricing are not acceptable alternatives to highway improvements that provide new capacity or increase productivity.
• TCA strongly opposes the lease or sale of toll roads, bridges, or tunnels to private parties for the purpose of funding highway infrastructure.  If such a facility is sold or leased to private investors, TCA recommends the following:
  • Proceeds derived by the government from the sale or lease of a toll facility should be used exclusively for highway investments on untolled facilities.  Facility customers should not be required to subsidize unrelated government functions.
  • Toll rates should be set at a level that covers only the costs of construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and operation of the associated toll facility, plus a reasonable return on investment and debt service costs.  Any differences in toll rates among vehicle classes should be reasonable.
  • Lessees should provide adequate facilities for the trucking industry, including access to food, fuel, and safe parking accommodations for long-term rest.
  • A rebate of federal and state fuel taxes for users of the facility.
  • A prohibition on the private party imposing its own restrictions or special fees on vehicle configurations (e.g. oversize/over weight vehicles) and commodities (e.g. hazardous materials).  It is anticipated that improved truck productivity will be part of any serious discussion of privatization benefits.  Therefore, increases in vehicle size and weight limits above that allowed under applicable federal or state law is not opposed.
  • A sinking fund to ensure that sufficient revenues are available for continued maintenance and operation of the facility.
  • Non-compete clauses that prevent improvements to competing highways should not be included as part of a lease or sale agreement.
  • Open Road Tolling (ORT) technology that allows motorists to travel at highway speeds must be adopted, and transponder technology must be compatible with technology used on other Interstate toll roads.
  • Performance specifications which ensure that the facility is operated and maintained adequately, provides a level of safety that is comparable to similar facilities, and provides for acceptable traffic flows.
  • A clause that allows the responsible public agency to end the agreement if the public agency believes that continuing the agreement is not in the public’s best interest.  In addition, a process should be established for amending the agreement.  An oversight committee should be established by the responsible public agency to monitor the facility and make recommendations to the agency as to whether the agreement should be amended or terminated.  This committee should include representatives of all major stakeholders, including the trucking industry.

Amended March 1, 2008