General Discussion

MineralMan

(150,976 posts)

25. Tolls on Interstate highways have been around for

Reply to woo me with science (Original post)

Thu May 1, 2014, 08:41 AM

May 2014

a while. I've encountered them myself and have always had to make a decision. Normally, I plan my trips ahead of time and make that decision before going. What I do is look at maps. If there is a reasonable alternate route, I go that way. If not, I consider whether taking that more convenient route is worth paying the toll.

Only a couple of times have I decided to use the toll road. That has led me to bypass it in interesting ways that have taken me through places I would not have seen. The number of interesting towns with interesting restaurants and shops I have encountered has more than compensated for the longer or slower drive.

In other cases, I have decided to use the toll road. Generally, this has been when time was a major issue. In those cases, the toll was part of the expense of the trip.

Bottom line: There's always an alternate route. There is always an option.

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They are taking away our open highways [View all] woo me with science May 2014 OP

I87 in NYS is a toll road. I84 is not. otherone May 2014 #1

I get the impression... jberryhill May 2014 #5

Or in Northern Illinois. greatauntoftriplets May 2014 #9

I've been sitting here for two days, wondering... jberryhill May 2014 #12

Well, it has that "I" in the name. greatauntoftriplets May 2014 #18

Or across Kansas. SheilaT May 2014 #100

lol. I didnt even know there were highways WITHOUT tolls! bunnies May 2014 #105

I know, right jberryhill May 2014 #107

I travelled 18000+ miles last year. progressoid May 2014 #144

Damn. We have 12 in tiny little NH. bunnies May 2014 #145

Here in Ark. I think (remembering what grandpa said) that it is in the Highway Charter Hestia May 2014 #127

Parts of I-95, 76, 80, 294, 90, 355 are toll as are many bridges/tunnels on other interstates FarCenter May 2014 #22

I77/I64 in West Virginia and I70 in Kansas liberal N proud May 2014 #38

That I77/I64 section started out as the West Virginia Turnpike. Lasher May 2014 #103

I 87 from NYC to Albany is toll. Scruffy Rumbler May 2014 #129

How old are they? Tolls are for paying off initial construction. kristopher May 2014 #247

America is a faded dream in many many ways. n/t RKP5637 May 2014 #2

+1 There have been a lot of vicious, malignant betrayals lately. woo me with science May 2014 #7

You realize that someone's gotta fix those highways, right?? msanthrope May 2014 #16

Without tolls, they might have to start taxing gasoline. Lizzie Poppet May 2014 #30

BINGO! liberal N proud May 2014 #42

*Thank* you. woo me with science May 2014 #44

Sure. Get a gas increase through the current Congress. Let me know how it msanthrope May 2014 #62

Compare what we pay for gasoline to Europe. Oh, wait…. KittyWampus May 2014 #70

Exactly. Lizzie Poppet May 2014 #73

Gasoline taxes in Europe pay for health care and other social services. djean111 May 2014 #186

And that's... better? Less regressive? Less of a burden to the poor? Recursion May 2014 #77

In some ways yes, it's better. Lizzie Poppet May 2014 #84

I know the Federal one does already, I think many states do Recursion May 2014 #89

Yeah, in some places the infrastructure is already in place. Lizzie Poppet May 2014 #101

Look, I'm not riding up on my horse and saying toll roads are the best possible idea Recursion May 2014 #104

I agree that that need is urgent. Lizzie Poppet May 2014 #110

Here in this state tractor trailers don't pay their fair share (thanks legislature) and are allowed Hestia May 2014 #130

Heh! SammyWinstonJack May 2014 #92

How would that be better? gcomeau May 2014 #93

Do you really think those prospective tolls won't go right into China or Saudi Arabia's AzDar May 2014 #86

I surrender to your genius. GeorgeGist May 2014 #178

It's better that way. AzDar May 2014 #181

sob, sob, you're celebrating the death of freedom!111!1!!eleventy! dionysus May 2014 #170

Kerouac wouldn't have paid tolls!!! nt msanthrope May 2014 #182

You do realize that there are blue states without tolls, don't you? dixiegrrrrl May 2014 #197

The first thing I noticed in the Northeast nilesobek May 2014 #27

Living in today's America is like living in a huge corporation with RKP5637 May 2014 #32

Yup, too busy trying to survive. woo me with science May 2014 #49

As one of my friends says, what does one do. We work and work trying to stay afloat, many of RKP5637 May 2014 #69

I pay tolls on almost all interstates already... Agschmid May 2014 #46

Might as well ruin it for the rest of the country! bobduca May 2014 #115

No, the race to the bottom is being done by states who refuse to raise enough revenues to pay Recursion May 2014 #117

+1 Agschmid May 2014 #123

I hope CT has cleaned up its act 2naSalit May 2014 #135

I remember an overpass in Bridgeport melted in 2005 Recursion May 2014 #137

I also recall 2naSalit May 2014 #142

Kansas has tolls. Our roads still stuck.n/t BuelahWitch May 2014 #141

It seems to me MyOwnPeace May 2014 #167

Our standard of living peaked in 1968 KurtNYC May 2014 #39

Yes. It is a systemic problem. woo me with science May 2014 #52

When one has a severely skewed capitalistic system, all the wealth at RKP5637 May 2014 #58

Just think of toll booths as checkpoints nationalize the fed May 2014 #3

Sure, but... jberryhill May 2014 #6

Don't forget that the NSA can monitor you with EZPass. You are stasi if you have one. nt msanthrope May 2014 #10

No wonder Hitler liked the autobahn! jberryhill May 2014 #13

You mock...but I remember an episode of Law&Order where someone's alibi for murder msanthrope May 2014 #26

Maybe don't commit murder then... Agschmid May 2014 #50

What's next? Grazing fees? jberryhill May 2014 #53

Thank you....that's what I've thought all along. nt msanthrope May 2014 #65

Evil Gubmint Encroacherz!1! Bobbie Jo May 2014 #116

The HORROR! greatauntoftriplets May 2014 #20

They will be used as Homeland Security checkpoints. woo me with science May 2014 #14

A pedestrian hacker can hijack a baby monitor in your home, for pity sake. Skidmore May 2014 #33

Nope. Agschmid May 2014 #51

ALCOA! FSogol May 2014 #140

Industrial strength Bobbie Jo May 2014 #246

Great prophecies... LanternWaste May 2014 #149

"I remember reading about it sometime back." hoooookay alex jones.... dionysus May 2014 #173

Did you see the website that this image came from? Generic Other May 2014 #225

I support thie move to tolling. MohRokTah May 2014 #4

Red states need to pay their fair share. nt msanthrope May 2014 #11

Of course you do. woo me with science May 2014 #15

That's a ludicrous statement. eom MohRokTah May 2014 #21

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service ChisolmTrailDem May 2014 #82

Wow, alerting on facts. What's next? JimDandy May 2014 #126

And now a ludicrous accusation. MohRokTah May 2014 #128

Thank you for posting this. :) woo me with science May 2014 #153

Never driven in the northeast, huh??? Pay your freight...the bridges don't fix themselves. nt msanthrope May 2014 #8

And here comes the mocking. woo me with science May 2014 #17

Paying your fair share is completely defensible. You wanna drive on I95??? msanthrope May 2014 #19

No, you will not divert this into a discussion about paying. woo me with science May 2014 #24

It's already a discussion about paying....a toll. But why are you msanthrope May 2014 #28

Plus.... jberryhill May 2014 #36

See....it's possible to get across America avoiding major highways!!! msanthrope May 2014 #61

"There's no trick to it, it's just a simple trick!" bobduca May 2014 #96

This shows the unfairness of tolls Travis_0004 May 2014 #234

id rather none of us paid tolls TheFarseer May 2014 #262

well, you can stick to surface streets.... snooper2 May 2014 #57

and a much more scenic trip. whistler162 May 2014 #81

If they get this one through... awoke_in_2003 May 2014 #165

We already pay our fair share christx30 May 2014 #99

No...the red states don't pay their fair share for 1-95 or their bridges or roads. msanthrope May 2014 #121

+ 330 million nationalize the fed May 2014 #23

Emigration, lol jberryhill May 2014 #41

You have absolutely *no idea* where I've driven nationalize the fed May 2014 #64

Ok... I've paid highway tolls... jberryhill May 2014 #71

Iceland. But don't hit any sheep because you're liable to the farmer who owns it. adirondacker May 2014 #219

It's a Living bobduca May 2014 #95

It's become more and more childish though, have you noticed? To me that says either sabrina 1 May 2014 #250

Tolls on Interstate highways have been around for MineralMan May 2014 #25

The "road less taken" ...(if you have time) SoCalDem May 2014 #34

Yes. For long, pre-planned trips, it's easy to plan around MineralMan May 2014 #48

Did a quick check and it appears there are no non-toll ways across the Hudson south of Albany FarCenter May 2014 #76

The alternate routes are where it's at. LuvNewcastle May 2014 #47

I agree. Now, if I'm doing a trip across the entire MineralMan May 2014 #55

You'll love Highway 61 down towards NOLA. Be sure and tour a couple of the old homes that are Hestia May 2014 #132

Thanks! We've been the full length of Hwy 61 in Minnesota, MineralMan May 2014 #150

You speak as though it will be optional for the poor. woo me with science May 2014 #56

? LuvNewcastle May 2014 #98

There is no need for corporations tolling our JimDandy May 2014 #134

no offense mm but sure for you with all the time and resources questionseverything May 2014 #146

I'm not sure who you think I am, really. MineralMan May 2014 #151

affluent compared to the kochs,no questionseverything May 2014 #200

Free roads are readily available. They always have been. MineralMan May 2014 #201

the discussion is about that being changed questionseverything May 2014 #207

Well, you're going to pay to cross the Hudson River, for sure. MineralMan May 2014 #208

Depends how you measure success, really. MineralMan May 2014 #209

we also are in the work til we drop club questionseverything May 2014 #213

Oh, the humanity! Skidmore May 2014 #29

This is the best response I have seen so far. giftedgirl77 May 2014 #31

Outrage ... first, last, and always!!!!! JoePhilly May 2014 #45

Sure I can. Erich Bloodaxe BSN May 2014 #85

Simply not liking something doesn't solve the problem. Skidmore May 2014 #102

So if the winter gets too cold, will you Erich Bloodaxe BSN May 2014 #109

Hear, hear! n/t Laelth May 2014 #155

But how will we get rid of them BuelahWitch May 2014 #162

You're exactly right. I have seen no toll roads or bridges here in darkest Mississippi Glorfindel May 2014 #88

This message was self-deleted by its author pa28 May 2014 #168

Yay logic! Agschmid May 2014 #195

Well said... SidDithers May 2014 #204

Oh, this is definitely America! sofa king May 2014 #35

Thanks for the history. LuvNewcastle May 2014 #74

Yep, remember this, too: sofa king May 2014 #80

Excellent point. LuvNewcastle May 2014 #106

Your first 2 sentences should be repeated. laundry_queen May 2014 #87

You'd think DUers would get it, but I don't know where their LuvNewcastle May 2014 #113

And how many toll roads on the interstate currently exist? randome May 2014 #118

I have no idea. I've never been on one. LuvNewcastle May 2014 #120

2900 miles of toll roads according to Wikipedia. randome May 2014 #124

I agree that our infrastructure needs it desperately, but I LuvNewcastle May 2014 #131

Toll roads taught me a lot about time. sofa king May 2014 #184

i think all the DUers supporting this TheFarseer May 2014 #264

Thanks for the history. Interesting read. KittyWampus May 2014 #125

Look, the blue states are tired of paying for the red states' bridges Recursion May 2014 #37

Do they really not know there have been tolls on interstates for eons? jberryhill May 2014 #43

Blue state tolls are paying for Red states' bridges? progressoid May 2014 #147

No, their gas and income taxes are Recursion May 2014 #148

Tolls are a regressive tax, but more importantly, during an election year, are political suicide. progressoid May 2014 #152

I feel sorry for the small mom and pop shops they will be hit hard Harmony Blue May 2014 #40

You are not a citizen to be served. You are a resource to be exploited. lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #54

+100000 There is no excuse for it. woo me with science May 2014 #75

The Oligarchs, Corporations And Banks Own And Control The Politicians That Own And Control Us cantbeserious May 2014 #91

Open highways, Open internet.... Triana May 2014 #59

Everything. woo me with science May 2014 #66

DU believes toll roads are a sign of Big Brother, and Moron America is winning. baldguy May 2014 #60

+1 jberryhill May 2014 #63

LOL! I live in NY and paying tolls was a big factor in me taking train into Manhattan. KittyWampus May 2014 #67

Some DU'ers already were jberryhill May 2014 #72

Demand ProSense May 2014 #68

So you would rather tax the poor who whistler162 May 2014 #78

The OP Is interested only in finding new ways to express faux outrage scheming daemons May 2014 #122

Yup... whistler162 May 2014 #139

I know right? This Libertarian slant of DU is getting ridiculous VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #187

I guess you've never been to Tampa huh, or giftedgirl77 May 2014 #79

This is America. oldandhappy May 2014 #83

So your idea of America... philosslayer May 2014 #90

Yeh, it's really sad, we needed a progressive revolution cure, but we got corparasitism infection. Zorra May 2014 #94

There will always be roads to travel for free. cbayer May 2014 #97

It is deliberately taking away your liberty fasttense May 2014 #108

"But today you need a passports to leave the country." jberryhill May 2014 #114

I stand corrected fasttense May 2014 #185

We already paid for these highways when they were built! Dustlawyer May 2014 #111

Exactly. They are part of the commons. n/t Cleita May 2014 #143

They were never built as part of the commons but to primarily serve commerce and the military. ancianita May 2014 #233

That's the past. It's time to recognize that most of the earth belongs Cleita May 2014 #235

You don't understand. Stewardship is about nature, not highways. Go ahead. Knock yourself out. ancianita May 2014 #237

I cannot do what you ask alone . Many others want it to happen and can't do it alone. Cleita May 2014 #239

Meme? Seriously? This is Reality. You can't just ignorantly claim that highways are The Commons. ancianita May 2014 #240

I guess I'm just stupid compared to everyone else. Cleita May 2014 #242

Of course we did. And we pay gas taxes, too. woo me with science May 2014 #154

and you would rather increase taxes on gas? VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #188

Maintenance of them has to be paid for too..... they don't just stay in perfect condition forever scheming daemons May 2014 #157

Gas taxes and vehicle registration cover maintenance. Dustlawyer May 2014 #161

and taxing EVERYONE more for gas effects EVERYONE not just those that use the Interstate. VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #189

and raising those taxes everyone...not JUST those that use the Interstate System VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #191

You forgot to add whistler162 May 2014 #198

Couple of questions SwankyXomb May 2014 #112

Privatize the profits bobduca May 2014 #119

What's next? Sidewalk permits? L0oniX May 2014 #133

Why not? It's for safety. You'll need insurance too nationalize the fed May 2014 #136

I'm thinking of putting a toll booth at the beginning of our Cleita May 2014 #138

Great post. woo me with science May 2014 #159

Okay.....do it then.... VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #190

I don't understand all the support bullsnarfle May 2014 #156

"Discussion" in neoAmerica is no longer what it appears to be. woo me with science May 2014 #158

I do, it is the people that agree on just about everything. Rex May 2014 #160

And people are generally willing to pay bullsnarfle May 2014 #163

Some of us like having infrastructure paid for Recursion May 2014 #183

So the rich won't pay taxes, so screw the poor instead? U4ikLefty May 2014 #164

calling posters on DU "punks" is pretty offensive don't you think VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #192

It's always fun to watch "progressives" line up to yell JoeyT May 2014 #166

Don't forget the coup de grace where the toll rights are sold to some private company. JVS May 2014 #171

you've outdone youself with the melodrama on this one... dionysus May 2014 #169

I thought I saw the DU domain weeping bitterly and the servers looking suicidal Number23 May 2014 #174

Actually, you are very wrong on this. woo me with science May 2014 #194

You will still have the highways, just not the interstates. giftedgirl77 May 2014 #202

There's always an excuse woo me with science May 2014 #203

I was pointing out that the roads need funding to be giftedgirl77 May 2014 #206

Of course the interstates are being taken away, and of course the poor will be affected. woo me with science May 2014 #210

I was pointing to you specifically. giftedgirl77 May 2014 #211

You are flailing here. woo me with science May 2014 #212

This is the last time I try & explain it to you.... giftedgirl77 May 2014 #214

Yes, you are repeating yourself, woo me with science May 2014 #215

Call it what you want.... giftedgirl77 May 2014 #224

Hey, money has to be made, and who better to take it from than the working class? sabrina 1 May 2014 #172

doesn't raising gas taxes tax the working class? VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #193

So we can pay 2 taxes or "fees": gas taxes AND tolls. neverforget May 2014 #220

Or the other option....we keep letting infrastructure fall apart....there is that! VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #221

And did I say anything about letting it fall apart? No. neverforget May 2014 #223

so in what way does raising the gas tax not effect the poor? VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #226

It's a regressive tax I agree. But paying 2 taxes instead of 1 makes it possible to raise taxes neverforget May 2014 #227

You speaking in "if's" now..... VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #228

If? It's happening now. Corporations are buying roads because governments are strapped for cash neverforget May 2014 #230

Is it paying for the shortfall on infrastructure or not? VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #252

Do you have a reading problem? Seriously, I gave you a solution but you chose to ignore it neverforget May 2014 #255

Yeah if I have to decide between Middle Class people paying for tolls VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #257

So the roads become only for those able to pay the toll price. neverforget May 2014 #258

not every road is going to become a toll road VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #259

Right and the poorer people shouldn't be able to drive on them because they neverforget May 2014 #260

As i stated earlier....the poorest people....don't have much money for gas to be driving on the VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #261

So you just dismiss them. The lack of empathy is noted. neverforget May 2014 #263

Maybe if we spent those taxes on infrastructure instead of on Drones and Wars and Spying sabrina 1 May 2014 #249

But there is only ONE WAY! TOLLS!!!!! neverforget May 2014 #256

Privatization is next. neverforget May 2014 #175

You are absolutely correct. woo me with science May 2014 #199

Yep. HooptieWagon May 2014 #238

Everyone SHOULD know this, elleng May 2014 #176

The highway takes its toll. The green light flashes go. And it's ... DreamGypsy May 2014 #177

Reagan Democrats ... GeorgeGist May 2014 #179

Indiana had a toll road and the republican governor sold it to B Calm May 2014 #180

+1 The history of toll roads is a history of lying, woo me with science May 2014 #196

OR you could look at it through another lens that gives a bit of history on highway capacity upkeep: ancianita May 2014 #216

I do think corruption, through deep-rooted corporatization, is endemic to running this country now. woo me with science May 2014 #217

Infrastructure has never been free. How much of it can realistically be supported by both feds and ancianita May 2014 #218

Many false arguments here. This is not "a fear" that something is being taken away. woo me with science May 2014 #231

Well, first of all, I thought I was in a discussion, not an argument. ancianita May 2014 #232

It is a discussion. You don't have to be arguing belligerently woo me with science May 2014 #245

Must have been time for another spin of the ... SidDithers May 2014 #205

Yes indeed. I love the smell of hyperbole in the morning onenote May 2014 #229

In Southern California, diamond lanes have morphed into pay to ride fast lanes.... zonkers May 2014 #222

You are right, but now, we the people are beginning to hold Cleita May 2014 #236

But not everyone in the other 49 states holds the same cards Californians do. And they might have to ancianita May 2014 #241

Yeah. Cleita May 2014 #243

i call bullshit on every person on this thread who says they already pay tolls SwampG8r May 2014 #244

I don't understand your post... Agschmid May 2014 #248

from the wikipedia history of I90 in mass SwampG8r May 2014 #265

Sometimes this place is one Turbineguy May 2014 #251

And toll booths will undoubtedly have scanners Warpy May 2014 #253

Yes, the surveillance and control aspects of this are disturbing as hell, too. woo me with science May 2014 #254