Toll roads in NC?

Friend of mine from the Raleigh area said they were debating putting in a toll road in/near Cary. He said the residents would pay twice: first with taxes and again in the tolls. And once you get one in, there are sure to be others throughout the state.

Anybody have any thoughts?

I have a thought: F^ck that.

Toll roads are paid for by tolls, not taxes. The entire idea is that it is pay-as-you-go. The roads would be built using bonds, not tax money. The bonds are then paid using the tolls that drivers pay. So, if you don’t drive on the toll road, you don’t pay for it.

A recent bill passed here in NC by our senate would make it LEGAL to place tolls on roads that have already been constructed using tax dollars, this was in the Observer a few months ago. The idea is that by placing the tolls they can raise funds to go ahead and start building other roads. This means you would indeed be paying a toll on a road that your taxes already paid for. The other part of the toll equation is what happens when the road is paid for? Most of the time the tolls remain for “upkeep”, in other words just like most things once the government has started collecting money from the public very rarely does the government remove it. That is why it is important to always hold the government and politicians accountable.

N.C. BILL SEEKS TO ADD TOLL ROADS

Source: RICHARD RUBIN, RRUBIN@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
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

Got to pay the cash to the Observer for the rest of the article!

Toll roads are paid for by tolls, not taxes. The entire idea is that it is pay-as-you-go. The roads would be built using bonds, not tax money. The bonds are then paid using the tolls that drivers pay. So, if you don't drive on the toll road, you don't pay for it.

you are correct. But sometimes toll roads are bought by toll companies. they pay for the road, or take out a loan on the road, and then sell you rights to drive on it. It’s a buisness for them. There are currently 3 planned for NC. There are ferries at the outerbanks right now that are “tolls” and we dont fund those.

CATS and light rail, now yes you do pay twice.

sounds like Jim Black and his allies are looking for a loophole to allow them to steal from the transportation fund, might as well add that to the list anyway…which we already have one of the highest gas taxes in the country that goes into that fund to build roads, and they are arrogant enough to try this…

we need a constitutional amendment outlawing corporate welfare, this would go a long ways to stopping big govt. crooks that do things like this.

They’re also thinking of toll roads in Gaston & Union Counties.
To the person who says you don’t double pay. Everyone on the toll road is a taxpayer, so they’re paying their taxes & the toll, thus double pay.

They're also thinking of toll roads in Gaston & Union Counties. To the person who says you don't double pay. Everyone on the toll road is a taxpayer, so they're paying their taxes & the toll, thus double pay.

roads are constructed from gas tax revenues (mostly). Your money to build the toll road is not from those revenues but from the tolls.

If you go to McDonalds and you go through the drivethru you pay 5 dollars. Well your food may cost 50 cents of that. The rest goes to the people who cooked it, management, commercials, promotions, energy bills, and maintaining the drivethru. Your not being taxed double when you buy the number 2 value meal at a drive thru while your engine uses gas to drive you around.

Uhhh yeahhh.

I’m living in Conway, about 15 miles from Myrtle Beach, and until they build the 73 bypass, Highway 501 will probably not see any improvements due to the heavy traffic flow coming through Southeastern SC from as far north as Michigan.

At least in NC the state sees to it that the roads are in decent condition. It’s awful down here.

if you think NC roads are good, you should travel more often. I find NC roads disasterous. Virginia has very nice roads, and I’m from NC so I’m not partial or bias or anything… just telling the truth.

[QUOTE=uncommon-niner;183706]if you think NC roads are good, you should travel more often. I find NC roads disasterous. Virginia has very nice roads, and I’m from NC so I’m not partial or bias or anything… just telling the truth.[/QUOTE]
I disagree. I’m also a N.C. native, but I’ve driven through about 30 states and I find that of those, N.C. is in the top 5. The rest of the south is a disaster, except for Virginia. The midwest and great plains areas are pretty awful too. Texas is by far the worst I’ve seen, especially in the Houston area.

[QUOTE=uncommon-niner;183706]if you think NC roads are good, you should travel more often. I find NC roads disasterous. Virginia has very nice roads, and I’m from NC so I’m not partial or bias or anything… just telling the truth.[/QUOTE]

I agree, but some parts of the state have much better roads than other parts.

I think they still have the state law that road money has to be equally distributed to all sections of the state, which is not good for the more heavily populated areas.

I personally thought a small portion of the lottery proceeds should go to road improvements and law enforcement instead of all of it going to eduction.

Toll roads are paid for by tolls, not taxes. The entire idea is that it is pay-as-you-go. The roads would be built using bonds, not tax money. The bonds are then paid using the tolls that drivers pay. So, if you don't drive on the toll road, you don't pay for it.
Not in this case, as I understand it. I think WB has it right for the Cary road.

If the toll routes are anything like they are in the North, then there wont be many cops on them, and only serious drivers will use them. Im all for it. Im sick of being stuck being a 78 Chevy pick up truck, because there is only 2 lanes. Im sick of being stuck being soccer moms who have nothin better to do (as in clean the house or take care of their kids) then drive to the mall or do unnessacary shopping with 8 kids (and then bitch, even though they took on the extra responsibility) that arent even hers…

Toll routes are typically used by people who really need them. hell a dream come true would be to build a super highway all around america. You have to pass certain requirements to get on, or pass certain requirements to be driving on the 2 inner lanes or something.

But then again, this is could go anyway

a super highway would destroy america. It would split habitats, make people have to move to make room for it, cost about 30 billion dollars and 75 years to build ( not to mention repairs ). All I’m saying is that is a horrible idea and you should be flogged.

Hadn’t heard about the toll road in Cary, but at one time lawmakers were talking about making I-95 a toll road throughout NC. It’s primarily used by out-of-state drivers, yet NC apportioned funds are put toward maintaining it. Haven’t heard anymore about it since last year, but the idea is there.

I personally don’t like toll roads, but it is a fair way to raise funds to maintain the road that is being used by those who use it. If you don’t want to pay, use an alternate route.

[QUOTE]They’re also thinking of toll roads in Gaston & Union Counties.
To the person who says you don’t double pay. Everyone on the toll road is a taxpayer, so they’re paying their taxes & the toll, thus double pay.[/QUOTE]

Unless tax dollars are used to build the road, then you aren’t paying twice. The tolls collected are used to pay for the road once it’s built and to maintain it, at least that’s the ideal in which the toll road operates.

The toll road in western Wake Co. is part of the 540 outer loop. It will connect I-40 to hwy 55 in Holly Springs around parts of Cary and Apex. There’s no money to build it from the state budget but this road needs to be completed sooner than later. RDU area once had this geneous build campus offices in the middle of no where so everyone drives in in the morning and out in the evening has clogged all western wake secondary roads. The north section of 540 is open (has been for awhile) for all those North Raleighites who will not have to pay the toll.

Its works in Germany…

By implementing toll roads, the DOT is funding projects that otherwise wouldn’t have funding. With the reduction of federal taxes comes the reduction of federal spending (the majority of highway money is federal). For example, I-540 in Wake County had its funding pulled with the recent reprioritization of projects. The only way it will be built is as a toll road.

I’m not arguing for or against them, though. The PA turnpike is one of the worst roads in PA. It is constantly being repaired but never gets better. But, it is one of 2 thruways that run east to west across the state and the only one that connects Philly to Pittsburgh. Part of the reason for disrepair is that it is not eligible for federal highway money because it is a toll road. No tax dollars can fund anything there. It is a pay-as-you-go road, meaning if repairs are needed, they can’t be completed until enough toll money is collected.