The Bush administration supports tolling to pay for highway and transit programs, according to a letter Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta sent to conferees working on a final transportation bill

“The administration supports the Senate provision giving states broad flexibility to implement variable pricing on the Interstate Highway System in order to manage congestion or improve air quality,”Mineta wrote in the June 22 letter.

This gives a green light to states that want to convert existing interstates into toll roads – thereby presenting an immediate challenge to OOIDA members (see Land Line’s special report on tolling for more information).

OOIDA is asking members to fax, write e-mail and call their elected officials and urge them to reject provisions in Section 1609 of the Senate bill that allow states to begin collecting tolls on existing interstate highways.

OOIDA opposes all new highway tolls except those proposed in Section 1603 of the House bill. The tolls provided for in Section 1603 are acceptable to OOIDA members because they are voluntary, may only be used to fund the construction of new highway lanes and expire after the construction costs are paid.

However, the administration says revenue generated from direct user fees such as tolls can provide investment capital and yield other benefits.

“Given the dual benefits of congestion management and increased revenues for infrastructure investment, as well as the development of tolling technologies that eliminate the need for toll booths, tolls have the potential to be much more efficient than other methods currently relied upon to finance highway construction,” Mineta’s letter said.