Gas tax and (smart) toll hike
(Peak pricing? NYC already does it. - promoted by David)
Cross-posted at Newton Streets & Sidewalks
If nothing else, Friday’s decision by the soon-to-expire Turnpike Authority to jack Pike tolls through the roof has rendered a statement in favor of a gas tax hike restoration fit for polite company. Even Howie Carr recognizes the virtues of a higher gas tax. (From Dan Kennedy. I haven’t listened to Howie since I stopped my Pike commute.)
But, it shouldn’t be an either/or. We need an increase in the gas tax to more directly and equitably pay for road and bridge construction and maintenance … and to help finance more mass transit. We need a smart toll hike to both provide additional revenue and to make better use of Pike capacity. And, we need virtual tolls on I-93 for the same additional-revenue and capacity-management reasons as on the Pike and because it would be more equitable.
More after you pay the toll the jump …