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Colin W Kingsbury wrote:

Up here in Taxachusetts there's a long-standing feud over tolls on the
Massachusetts Turnpike. The law that authorized the bond issue to build the
pike said, tolls will be charged until the bonds are paid off, then the
tolls shall end. Well, the bonds were paid off more than 10 years ago, but
the tollbooths persist. A couple years back when the debate flared up, the
tollbooth defenders said, "well, if we quit collecting tolls, the state will
need to come up with that $200 million some other way." Funny part is, the
accountants opened the books and figured that staffing and maintaining the
tollbooths cost the state about 60 cents on every dollar of tolls they
collected. So the net cost to the state of shutting down the tolls would be
only $80 million.

The same thing is going on here in New Jersey, only they figured the cost of
collecting the tolls at over 80 cents on the dollar. When you figure in the
Federal highway funds that they can't get because the GSP and NJT are toll
roads, the State would make a net *profit* by eliminating the toll booths.

The problem is that the State set up a bureaucracy decades ago to run the toll
roads. This group knows that their jobs and power base disappears if the roads
become free, so they are continually borrowing money to "improve" the toll
system. These loans could not legally be repaid with Federal highway funds. Four
years ago it was "EZPass." The latest effort is to remove half the toll stations
in one direction, expand those in the other direction, and double the tolls.

The signs say "The inconvenience is temporary -- the improvements permanent." So
are the tolls, it seems.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

("George Patterson" wrote)
snip
The signs say "The inconvenience is temporary -- the improvements
permanent." So
are the tolls, it seems.


I think Denver to Boulder (30 miles?) got rid of their booths after that
toll road was paid off. My sister lives in Boulder - it was my first toll
road experience when I drove out for a visit. We don't have toll roads (yet)
in Minnesota.

We had a private party buy a 100 year old railroad-over-the-top-cars-on
the-bottom (single lane) swing bridge across the Mississippi River in the
80's. He charged a toll (only toll both in the state at the time).

That trusty old wooden decked bridge closed for good a few years ago. I
loved "The Old Bridge." sniff in my hometown of sniff St Paul Park -
downriver from St. Paul about 10 miles.

sniff, sniff. I'm ok, sniff

Hope I'm on the money with my Colorado Toll Freeway facts :-)


Montblack

"George Patterson" wrote in message
...

The problem is that the State set up a bureaucracy decades ago to run the
toll
roads. This group knows that their jobs and power base disappears if the
roads
become free, so they are continually borrowing money to "improve" the toll
system. These loans could not legally be repaid with Federal highway
funds. Four
years ago it was "EZPass." The latest effort is to remove half the toll
stations
in one direction, expand those in the other direction, and double the
tolls.

Ah yes, nothing like digging holes and filling them back up again. Here in
Mass. a senior toll collector can collect up into the low 80k range with
overtime plus state-worker bennies and union rules. For what this costs they
could easily equip every car in New England with an EZ Pass unit and cut the
cost of collection by probably 90%. Then again, now that most gas stations
are self-serve it's pretty much up to the state to provide jobs for people
willing to work but not skilled enough to get ahead.

-cwk.

"Colin W Kingsbury" posted the exciting
message link.net:

...."now that most gas stations are self-serve it's pretty much up
to the state to provide jobs for people willing to work but not
skilled enough to get ahead.


That's a great, but pathetically sad, post!

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