The Badger Tollway? Not so fast, says commission official
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While Wisconsin may welcome you and be open for business, it might cost you to enter the state if a proposal to turn some highways into toll roads goes into effect. However, a governor and Legislature-created commission will release a report next month that seems to go against that idea.
MADISON — A panel looking at ways to pay for the state's highways is leaning against the idea of imposing highway tolls.
One of the state's top political power brokers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, has indicated he'd like toll roads to solve the state's transportation-funding problem. But a commission that is studying the issue has found the issue is not as simple as it might seem.
Federal support for highways is on the decline, while the gasoline tax and vehicle registration fees, which have paid most of the state's highway bills, are stagnating, according to a paper issued by the state's Transportation Policy and Funding Commission.
More fuel-efficient cars have led to less gas-tax revenue.
Meanwhile, one estimate is that the state will need an extra $6 billion for transportation over the next decade.
The governor and Legislature created the commission to study the issue. The commission is schedule to release its final report Jan. 23. A draft of the report includes a "finding" that suggests tollways are not practical for Wisconsin, at least not now, said Beth Nachreiner, the commission's staff director.
Nachreiner spoke to The Gazette on Tuesday. She said the finding is not as strong as a recommendation. She stressed that she was speaking only about a draft of the final report, which could be changed before it is finalized.
The commission's report would be considered as lawmakers make the final decision about how to fund transportation projects.
Nachreiner said a major hang-up is a federal requirement that any state that charges tolls has to provide the same number of free roads as before tolling.
The state could impose tolls on any new or expanded highways, Nachreiner said. For example, with the planned widening of Interstate 90/39 from the Illinois state line to Madison, tolls could be imposed on the new lanes, but the existing four lanes would have to remain a freeway.
The question is whether tolls on the new lanes could pay for the tolling infrastructure while the other lanes remain free, Nachreiner said.
Open-road tolling, the kind of system used in the Illinois Tollway, is costly, Nachreiner said, and it does not appear Wisconsin has enough traffic to generate enough revenue to pay off the cost.
The commission likely will encourage the state's congressional delegation to push for a change in federal law, Nachreiner said.
While tolls might not be the answer in the near term, there's another way lawmakers could impose a fee on drivers. State drivers could be assessed a fee based on the number of miles they drive.
The first 3,000 miles each year would be exempt, to account for miles someone might drive out of state, Nachreiner said, but a fee would be imposed for subsequent miles.
The fee-for-miles system would not capture money from out-of-state tourists, as a tollway would, Nachreiner acknowledged, unless a nationwide system were imposed, and that does not appear to be in the cards.
Meanwhile, costs of maintaining the state's highways will not go away. It's estimated that the entire 743-mile Interstate system in Wisconsin will need to be rebuilt over the next 30 years.
Dec 6, 2012 at 10:43 p.m.
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"Not all user fees collected are made available for highway purposes. Of the 18.4 cent per gallon federal tax on gasoline, 2.86 cents are allocated specifically for mass transit projects. Another 0.1 cent per gallon is used to pay for environmental cleanup resulting from leaking fuel storage tanks. From 1990 to 1997, the federal government also set aside a portion of taxes on gasoline, diesel and other fuels to reduce budget deficits."
http://subsidyscope.org/transportation/d...
Dec 6, 2012 at 12:11 p.m.
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Thanks wasp2491. It helps when someone actually posts factual information instead of simply posting idiotic assumptions.
Dec 6, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.
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a very bad idea; wi already has one of the highest state per gallon tax in the u.s. the companies that bid on road work ARE geographic MONOPOLIES very few people have the 20 mil plus to start an asphalt plant... and IF they did the pits for material are the real issue they can not just haul in the material..there is very little competition in these bids. especially the large projects.
if tolls happen we will be stuck w/high gas tax AND high tolls...
Dec 6, 2012 at 9:01 a.m.
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Where does the revenue from the fuel tax go?
The revenue from the collected fuel taxes are deposited into the Highway Trust Fund, which has several accounts. Though the percentages vary depending on the fuel type, the majority (approximately 83 to 87%) is deposited into the Highway Account, to be used on road construction and maintenance. An additional amount (approximately 11 to 15%) goes to the Mass Transit Account, and for many fuels, 0.1 cents per gallon goes to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorfuel/faqs.h...
Dec 6, 2012 at 7:29 a.m.
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Gee, thanks yada, knowing that YOU think I'm correct puts me at ease *rolls eyes*.
Dec 6, 2012 at 7:26 a.m.
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Do it right this time and pitch a tent for employees. Don't go all out on building expenses like illinois did.
Dec 6, 2012 at 6:49 a.m.
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Please note DWIGHT - I am going on record and actually saying you are correct on Tollways - yes - the foreign Company lease is correct. I remember reading about it in way back and found the article in USA Today. It's happening all over the United States.
"Foreigh Companies Buying U.S. Roads, Bridges"
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nati...
Dec 6, 2012 at 6:30 a.m.
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I see a few myths on here that should be cleared up.
1. Prius batteries are warrantied to 100,000 miles. Replacement batteries are around $3000, the improved mileage would more than pay for the new batteries. The old batteries are 100% recycled, even the plastic.
2. Most road construction, other than very minor repairs, are done by contractors on a bid basis. So while the orange barrels may be part of the bid, they are probably also a sub bid for the whole job and not being paid for by the day.
3. Gas tax only covers about 51% of road construction and maintenance. The rest comes from other sources. So actually other sources are raided to subsidize the road budget.
Dec 6, 2012 at 5:43 a.m.
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Wasn't it Doyle who raided the transportation fund a few years back?
Dec 6, 2012 at 5:01 a.m.
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We would be wise to get more semis off the highway & go back to using trains to haul cargo. It saves $ on fuel & the roads won't take such a beating.
Dec 5, 2012 at 11:38 p.m.
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If the gas tax money, already collected, was ONLY used for its intended purpose there would be plenty of money. Using gas tax money to subsidize pet projects has drained the funding and now politicians are concerned there was a consequence to their misguidance...dolts.
Dec 5, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.
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raise the tax on gas, no building or staffing of toll booths required, no accounting firm needed to add up everybody's miles, and if you don't buy gas you don't pay
Dec 5, 2012 at 6:20 p.m.
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Toll road for the fast lane? lol, that'll work out great.
Mileage per year? That will get tied up for years in the courts.
I don't oppose tolls, just give local residents an opt-out. And that does not include the large number of Illinois plates I see around town, pulling into driveways. I still haven't figured out that advantage.
Dec 5, 2012 at 6:09 p.m.
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badger2 - that's not true. The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority owns all of Illinois Toll roads. The Skyway is leased to a foreign company, but it not owned by that company - and that's only the Skyway.
Dec 5, 2012 at 5:51 p.m.
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Im glad i drive gas guzzlers... rather have power and luxury any day than save 1 cent per mile.
Dec 5, 2012 at 5:09 p.m.
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Why dont they try to solve the problem before trying to better the solution? Why do we ignore the quality of roads we have built or the quality of repair we have done?
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Orange barrels. We rent these barrels by the day from a private company. Why do we have thousands of barrels lining highways that are either complete or not being worked on yet? It seems like if a 100ft span of road is being worked on we have barrels for 5 miles in each direction. i think it was Utah did a study and figured it out that they spend over a couple million a year on just barrel rental. What other things are loosely monitored and sucking money up?
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:49 p.m.
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Toll Roads are usually sold off by the States to privatize them. The Illinois roads are owned by foriegn corporations. But outsourcing is what the people who voted for these Wisconsin politicians seem to want.
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:41 p.m.
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So we are really gaining nothing by running vehicles that consume less fuel?
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:17 p.m.
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Just do the toll roads
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:11 p.m.
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I drive almost 3000 miles a month. Impose tolls and this interstate commuter will be moving.
Dec 5, 2012 at 4:09 p.m.
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When are we going to get with the program here...
This is way past due.....
Just do it an be done with it.
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