Toll Roads

Comments

2 responses to “Toll Roads”

1. 

   Man Mountain Molehill

   July 17, 2014

   This is where I depart from orthodox libertarianism:

   The way to reduce congestion on roads is more roads.

2. 

   Laura Louzader

   July 21, 2014

   Toll roads are the free market solution to mounting infrastructure maintenance costs and increasing traffic congestion. Why should I pay, through my income taxes, the cost of maintaining roads I never take a car onto, because I don’t drive a car?

   Let’s take this further… let’s take it all the way, and free all transportation from government funding and government control. Only surface streets essential for egress and ingress should be maintained by the local government. All other transportation- limited-access hi-speed roads, all public transit, all rail, air, and water transportation should be supported by user revenues. All transit would be de-monopolized, with local transit agencies free to drop service that is unprofitable.

   My bet is that this would, after an initial period of disruption and hardship, result in far less traffic congestion, far less car use and ownership, far less suburban sprawl, and more people working and living where they could walk or take transit short distances.

   The population would reorganize itself around transit-retail hubs with no government incentives or interference.

   Highways that don’t justify their existence would be allowed to deteriorate, while heavily traveled arteries would receive the maintenance they need.

   Transit companies could return to charging by distance traveled (zone fares) thus incentivizing people to live close to work, retail, and services.

   You’d know where your teens are, because they would NOT be on the roads in their own cars. Teen driving would be rare and costly.

   In short, we would solve a multitude of seemingly intractable modern problems by MAKING THE USER PAY.