-Flawed report fails to offer real solutions to solve America’s transportation funding challenges-
Richmond, VA – The Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates (ATFI) today released the following statement critical of a report published by the Reason Foundation which advocates for funding the nation’s transportation infrastructure using their self-described “Value-Added Tolling” mechanism:
“The pro-toll report released by the Reason Foundation reinforces the many shortcomings of using tolls to generate revenue for construction and maintenance of existing federal interstate capacity. ATFI has grown to over 130 members as a result of widespread recognition of these tolling problems, including inefficiency, traffic diversion, and increased business costs. The ‘policy proposals’ described in the report fail to dispel the myriad concerns held by highway users throughout the country. Tolling existing interstates is overwhelmingly unpopular, and public opposition will not be assuaged by poor policies like these, many of which are based on questionable or erroneous assumptions.
Examples of the flawed assumptions include:
• A continued reliance on overly optimistic revenue and traffic projections used to issue bonds, numbers that often do not materialize once a toll road is reconstructed or maintenance is completed. (Policy #1)
• Future use of tolls as the singular funding source for all interstate construction and maintenance, while simultaneously relying on a universal Vehicle Miles Tax to fund construction and maintenance of all other roads. (Policy #3 & #5)
• An increased dependence on the already bloated bureaucracies created by All-Electronic Tolling. (Policy #3)
Placing tolls on existing interstate capacity will cause traffic diversion, hurt the economy through increased shipping costs for goods, and negatively impact the communities located around toll facilities. No recommendation made in this report eliminates these serious consequences.”
To learn more about AFTI and join the Alliance please visit www.tollfreeinterstates.com. In addition to joining ATFI you can stay connected by following the Alliance on Twitter at @No2Tolls and Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/TollFreeInterstates
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