""Putting tolls on the interstates does not appear to be a wise step."
Idea for interstate tolls draws criticism from Senators
August 11, 2006
Melinda Deslatte
Associated Press
Vopyright 2006
BATON ROUGE -- An idea floated by Gov. Kathleen Blanco's transportation chief to turn Interstates 10 and 12 across south Louisiana into toll roads ran into opposition Thursday from Louisiana's two U.S. senators.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, who released information on the proposal, said it would unduly tax thousands of people who use the highways and asked Blanco to scrap any proposals to put toll booths on Louisiana's interstates.
Vitter wrote a letter to the Democratic governor Thursday, complaining about the toll proposal. The Republican senator said the two interstates were more critical for people after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"Many of them must commute on these highways daily, often traveling far distances to work and to repair their severely damaged homes. To impose a significant tax on these trips -- on top of their hurricane losses, on top of high gasoline prices -- is wrong and counterproductive," Vitter said in the letter.
DOTD has been trying to find ways to pay for a $12 billion backlog of road and infrastructure repairs, saying the current federal and state financing sources aren't sufficient to address construction needs growing annually at $300 million a year. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Johnny Bradberry has been reviewing an array of financing options, including proposals to raise the state's gasoline tax, but he said no decisions had been made.
Bradberry, head of the state Department of Transportation and Development, said a pilot toll proposal was one of a series of alternatives to higher taxes that he would present to the governor within the next six months in a package of financing options.
He said he had made no decision whether he would suggest interstate tolls as a viable plan, however, and he said the governor never directed him to set up toll booths along the interstates. Bradberry accused Vitter of distorting the facts.
"Governor Blanco has not instructed me to toll I-10 and I-12. DOTD has not proposed tolls on I-10 or I-12, and DOTD has not submitted a formal application to place tolls on I-10 or I-12," Bradberry said in a statement released Thursday.
"I owe it to the citizens of this state to aggressively pursue all alternatives to higher gasoline taxes in order to maintain and improve our roads and bridges," he said.
Blanco's spokesman wouldn't say whether the governor would even consider interstate tolling as a highway funding plan.
Bradberry submitted an "Expression of Interest" to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration about the possibility of converting I-10 and I-12 into toll roads, in a March 7 letter Vitter's office included with his statement to Blanco. The "Expression of Interest" is not a formal application, according to the highway administration.
In the letter released by Vitter's office, Bradberry said the toll project was "essential to the economic recovery of the state" after the hurricanes and "to better prepare for future events."
Federal officials haven't given a response to the Blanco administration about whether they would approve interstate tolls in Louisiana.
Vitter asked Blanco to withdraw any application and pledged to actively work against the plan at the federal level if Blanco refused. "I'm asking the governor to exert some leadership and withdraw this formal submission to the federal government," he said.
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, also issued a statement opposing the idea, saying Louisiana residents already have been hit hard by hurricanes and high gas prices. She said the state should find other ways to boost transportation dollars.
"Putting tolls on the interstates does not appear to be a wise step," she said.
Vitter said tolls along the 360 miles of interstate and its 40 miles of spurs and loops would deter truckers and freight haulers from using the roads and would, therefore, also harm businesses that have locations along the interstate exits.
Bradberry and Vitter disagreed about how much information the state transportation department provided about the tolling concept.
Vitter said he heard about the toll request about 10 days ago and then got written confirmation from the federal highway administration office. But Bradberry said he personally briefed Vitter and an aide in Washington on June 8 about the tolling proposal and other transportation issues. Vitter said the general transportation briefing didn't include an outline of the tolling proposal.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
© 2006 The Associated Press: www.ap.org
August 11, 2006
Melinda Deslatte
Associated Press
Vopyright 2006
BATON ROUGE -- An idea floated by Gov. Kathleen Blanco's transportation chief to turn Interstates 10 and 12 across south Louisiana into toll roads ran into opposition Thursday from Louisiana's two U.S. senators.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter, who released information on the proposal, said it would unduly tax thousands of people who use the highways and asked Blanco to scrap any proposals to put toll booths on Louisiana's interstates.
Vitter wrote a letter to the Democratic governor Thursday, complaining about the toll proposal. The Republican senator said the two interstates were more critical for people after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"Many of them must commute on these highways daily, often traveling far distances to work and to repair their severely damaged homes. To impose a significant tax on these trips -- on top of their hurricane losses, on top of high gasoline prices -- is wrong and counterproductive," Vitter said in the letter.
DOTD has been trying to find ways to pay for a $12 billion backlog of road and infrastructure repairs, saying the current federal and state financing sources aren't sufficient to address construction needs growing annually at $300 million a year. Louisiana Transportation Secretary Johnny Bradberry has been reviewing an array of financing options, including proposals to raise the state's gasoline tax, but he said no decisions had been made.
Bradberry, head of the state Department of Transportation and Development, said a pilot toll proposal was one of a series of alternatives to higher taxes that he would present to the governor within the next six months in a package of financing options.
He said he had made no decision whether he would suggest interstate tolls as a viable plan, however, and he said the governor never directed him to set up toll booths along the interstates. Bradberry accused Vitter of distorting the facts.
"Governor Blanco has not instructed me to toll I-10 and I-12. DOTD has not proposed tolls on I-10 or I-12, and DOTD has not submitted a formal application to place tolls on I-10 or I-12," Bradberry said in a statement released Thursday.
"I owe it to the citizens of this state to aggressively pursue all alternatives to higher gasoline taxes in order to maintain and improve our roads and bridges," he said.
Blanco's spokesman wouldn't say whether the governor would even consider interstate tolling as a highway funding plan.
Bradberry submitted an "Expression of Interest" to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration about the possibility of converting I-10 and I-12 into toll roads, in a March 7 letter Vitter's office included with his statement to Blanco. The "Expression of Interest" is not a formal application, according to the highway administration.
In the letter released by Vitter's office, Bradberry said the toll project was "essential to the economic recovery of the state" after the hurricanes and "to better prepare for future events."
Federal officials haven't given a response to the Blanco administration about whether they would approve interstate tolls in Louisiana.
Vitter asked Blanco to withdraw any application and pledged to actively work against the plan at the federal level if Blanco refused. "I'm asking the governor to exert some leadership and withdraw this formal submission to the federal government," he said.
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, also issued a statement opposing the idea, saying Louisiana residents already have been hit hard by hurricanes and high gas prices. She said the state should find other ways to boost transportation dollars.
"Putting tolls on the interstates does not appear to be a wise step," she said.
Vitter said tolls along the 360 miles of interstate and its 40 miles of spurs and loops would deter truckers and freight haulers from using the roads and would, therefore, also harm businesses that have locations along the interstate exits.
Bradberry and Vitter disagreed about how much information the state transportation department provided about the tolling concept.
Vitter said he heard about the toll request about 10 days ago and then got written confirmation from the federal highway administration office. But Bradberry said he personally briefed Vitter and an aide in Washington on June 8 about the tolling proposal and other transportation issues. Vitter said the general transportation briefing didn't include an outline of the tolling proposal.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
© 2006 The Associated Press:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Friday, August 11, 2006
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