Ohio: Toll roads could be a'coming!

[seicer]

Strickland wants toll option for new roads
AP, February 16, 2009

COLUMBUS - Gov. Ted Strickland is asking Ohio legislators to allow state transportation officials to charge tolls for new roads and bridges.

The proposal, which could raise revenue for construction while easing congestion, is part of the governor's upcoming two-year budget. Tolls would not apply to existing roads, Strickland said.

"There's much more of a direct nexus with who pays and who benefits," said Robert Poole, director of transportation studies for the Reason Foundation, a nonprofit economic think tank in Los Angeles. "The other advantage is you don't have to wait 10 or 20 years to pull together enough money to do a big project."

Strickland said he has no specific project in mind, but he said one idea would be to build truck-specific toll lanes along routes with heavy truck traffic.

Since 1955, the Ohio Turnpike has been the state's only toll highway. About 26 states use tolling, and seven others are considering it, Department of Transportation director Jolene Molitoris said.

"We just see it as a tool in the toolbox," she said.

Strickland also would like to form several regional transportation authorities, each focused on one new project with oversight from state officials. Under the plan, an extra $170 million would be pumped into a state revolving loan fund to start the projects.

Charging tolls on a completed road or bridge project would be one of several ways to pay back that money.

Republican state Rep. Matthew Dolan of Novelty has questioned whether the regional authorities are just a way of shifting the funding burden away from the state and federal government.

Charging tolls has been considered in other Ohio projects, including the Interstate 280 bridge over the Maumee River near Toledo. Authorities ruled out tolls there because drivers had too many ways of driving around toll booths, said Warren Henry, vice president for transportation for the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments.

A toll would be more practical for projects in high-traffic areas, such as Cleveland and Columbus, Henry said, adding that relieving congestion has been the purpose of metropolitan toll projects in Texas and Florida.

The creation of regional authorities to manage toll roads near Miami and other major Florida cities has rerouted toll revenues directly back into those regions, instead of through state bureaucracies, said Cindy Polo-Serantes, a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

"We can think of, design and implement a project much more quickly," she said. "We're a government agency, but we're run like a business."

[exit322]

I like the idea of the regional toll authorities, always have.

If the tolls can be used to alleviate congestion in a big way, and can be done reasonably priced to the driver (saving 15 minutes isn't worth $5, for example)...tolls can and should be successful in most urban areas.

The Ohio Turnpike, sure, goes around Toledo and Cleveland, but the only way it'd ever be a commuter-type route is in some rare instances where you're trying to fly out of Hopkins and you're in Akron.

[Stephane Dumas]

the idea of regional toll authorities seems to be a good idea. However if they adopt a electronic toll system, I suggest than it should be compatible with EZ-pass since Indiana and PA use this system

then what about toll roads owned by private companies?

And on a off-topic note, I could suggest some "diamond slip interchanges" only allowed to EZ-pass users on the OH tpk in a bit similar to this proposed interchange at the junction of PA-903 and PA NE Ext  http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3800 and I don't know if it could work for metro cities areas of Ohio, how about some express toll lanes or reversible toll lanes?

[PAHighways]

the idea of regional toll authorities seems to be a good idea. However if they adopt a electronic toll system, I suggest than it should be compatible with EZ-pass since Indiana and PA use this system

They're going with E-ZPass, but it won't be active until late 2009:  http://www.ohioturnpike.org/travelers/faq/ezpass/.

[leifvanderwall]

I hear states like Ohio and Wyoming want more tolls , states such as Illinois and Florida have had toll roads for years, but I wonder why states like Michigan are continuing to shy away from toll roads (Michigan does have toll bridges) . I think it's surprising North Carolina does not have any toll roads either. It's not surprising Ohio is comtemplating on tolling roads- it would be something if they toll I-75, everyone's favorite road to Florida.

[Terry Shea]

I hear states like Ohio and Wyoming want more tolls , states such as Illinois and Florida have had toll roads for years, but I wonder why states like Michigan are continuing to shy away from toll roads (Michigan does have toll bridges).

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.  What's the sense in having a limited access highway if you have to stop and pay a toll (or pick up a ticket) every so often anyway?  Might as well just build a divided highway with at grade intersections rather than build a "high speed" tollway that isn't very fast. 

[agentsteel53]

I hear states like Ohio and Wyoming want more tolls , states such as Illinois and Florida have had toll roads for years, but I wonder why states like Michigan are continuing to shy away from toll roads (Michigan does have toll bridges).

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.  What's the sense in having a limited access highway if you have to stop and pay a toll (or pick up a ticket) every so often anyway?  Might as well just build a divided highway with at grade intersections rather than build a "high speed" tollway that isn't very fast. 

there are worlds of difference between two tollbooths, spaced 150 miles apart, and having a red light every half-mile.

[froggie]

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.

Apparently the former doesn't apply in Florida, and the latter is easily handled by using ETC and building high-speed ETC lanes...

[Stephane Dumas]

I digged the Mark Natale's defunct toll roads site on the Internet archives http://web.archive.org/web/20010210013102/www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~mn2n/tolloh.html and I wondered which new corridors (besides the proposed I-73 gap suggested in the early 1990s) could be candidates for a tollway?

[FLRoads]

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.  What's the sense in having a limited access highway if you have to stop and pay a toll (or pick up a ticket) every so often anyway?  Might as well just build a divided highway with at grade intersections rather than build a "high speed" tollway that isn't very fast. 

I totally disagree. Tourists still go to places like Orlando and use the toll facilities to reach their destinations, whether it be a hotel, theme park, downtown, or some other destination. On the contrary, most tourists do not mind paying a little extra fee to get them to where they want to go a little quicker, especially when they are in an unfamiliar area.

I use to frequent Sea World when I lived there and once our economy went south, you know who the majority of the guests were in the park? Tourists. And not just tourists from this country, but tourists from overseas. The majority of the park was filled with European tourists who took advantage of the weak dollar to come over here on their vacation. And I bet most of them had used at least toll facility to get from the airport to their hotel (namely Florida 528). I personally know of a few tourists who did use the toll facilities because it was asked of me on what the proper route was to get somewhere, how much the toll would be, if it was the quickest route, etc., etc.

And as Froggie pointed out, most of the toll facilities in Orlando, and now a good part of Florida, have high-speed ETC lanes where you do not have to slow down to pay a toll. Some rental agencies have their vehicles equipped with a toll pass on the windshield so if the renter wants to use the toll road, they just activate the toll pass and pay the fee upon the return of the rental.

As far as a toll road not being fast, I can count the number of times I had to sit in traffic on one of the toll roads while living in Orlando, as opposed to sitting in traffic on the always clogged Interstate 4.  I would much rather take Florida 417 and pay a toll any day to beat the traffic hell on Interstate 4, or on any of the clogged arterials, inundated with traffic lights.

[PAHighways]

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.

Apparently the former doesn't apply in Florida, and the latter is easily handled by using ETC and building high-speed ETC lanes...

Nor apply to Pennsylvania, since our number one industry is now tourism.  No need to stop on the mainline Turnpike for most of its mileage to pay a toll.

[Terry Shea]

I hear states like Ohio and Wyoming want more tolls , states such as Illinois and Florida have had toll roads for years, but I wonder why states like Michigan are continuing to shy away from toll roads (Michigan does have toll bridges).

In a word:Tourism!  Tolls discourage tourists.  Plus it's annoying when you have to keep stopping to pay tolls.  What's the sense in having a limited access highway if you have to stop and pay a toll (or pick up a ticket) every so often anyway?  Might as well just build a divided highway with at grade intersections rather than build a "high speed" tollway that isn't very fast. 

there are worlds of difference between two tollbooths, spaced 150 miles apart, and having a red light every half-mile.

You don't have red lights every half mile in rural areas.  For example US-31 between Peru and Plymouth (IN) has no stops whatsoever along that stretch of about 50 miles.  And it depends on the type of tollway.  I still remember those annoying baskets along the Tri-State Tollway that you'd have to stop and throw change in every few miles.

[mightyace]

And it depends on the type of tollway.  I still remember those annoying baskets along the Tri-State Tollway that you'd have to stop and throw change in every few miles.

Exactly, Terry.  The current I-80 proposal has 8 or 9 ETC only toll gantries.  The earlier proposals had traditional toll barriers in the same locations.  Or, you'd have to stop every 1/2 hour if you don't have an EZ-Pass!

[froggie]

I'm still not convinced on ETC-only tolling (what ON 407 has and what Maryland is putting in on the ICC).  definitely should incorporate ETC, but I think there's still a need for 2-3 traditional toll booths for those without ETC and/or for oversized vehicles.

[lamsalfl]

I'm still not convinced on ETC-only tolling (what ON 407 has and what Maryland is putting in on the ICC).  definitely should incorporate ETC, but I think there's still a need for 2-3 traditional toll booths for those without ETC and/or for oversized vehicles.

Pay the man.  There should always be a few traditional booths.  Just because Maw Maw and Paw Paw have a driver's license doesn't mean they are up to speed on the latest tolling technology, and that they're going to need to have a transponder. 

[SP Cook]

Tolling procedures - IMHO, there should be one continent wide toll transponder system.  It should be built into new cars, and be a simple snap on the windshield thing sold at autoparts stores (or Wal-Mart) for older cars, and just be, to the average motorist, invisable.  Just another light on the dash that comes on if its malfunctioning.  You would just establish an account with a single international authority using a credit card or some other means (Western Union would be good).  The "float" on the money is more than enough to pay for it, no service fees are necessary.  If you live in some jurisdiction where you don't need it, then just leave it be.

Ohio - Looking at a map of Ohio, no city to city project jumps out at you as a big need.  Ohio seems to have a well-thought out system of roads.  So they must be talking about intraurban toll roads of the type seen in some parts of Florida, Texas and California.  Considering the lack of growth in any Ohio city, save Columbus and that is slowing now, again that seem fanciful.

[lamsalfl]

Sounds silly but I like the Sunpass name and logo which makes it unique from bland names like EZ-Pass.  Louisiana's new toll transponder system is called GeauxPass (pronounced Go-Pass)... giving it a nod to the Cajun spelling.  (and no, the New Orleans area is NOT Cajun Country.  It's Creole here.)

[bulldog1979]

Sounds silly but I like the Sunpass name and logo which makes it unique from bland names like EZ-Pass.  Louisiana's new toll transponder system is called GeauxPass (pronounced Go-Pass)... giving it a nod to the Cajun spelling.  (and no, the New Orleans area is NOT Cajun Country.  It's Creole here.)

Illinois has I-Pass and Indiana has iZoom. Both interoperate with EZ-Pass. I have no problems with states branding their tags differently if they interoperate.

[hbelkins]

Illinois has I-Pass and Indiana has iZoom. Both interoperate with EZ-Pass. I have no problems with states branding their tags differently if they interoperate.

It would be nice if they all could be linked, like Florida's and Oklahoma's.

[Brandon]

Illinois has I-Pass and Indiana has iZoom. Both interoperate with EZ-Pass. I have no problems with states branding their tags differently if they interoperate.

It would be nice if they all could be linked, like Florida's and Oklahoma's.

Yeah, it would be nice if OK and FL would get their act together (along with KS, CO, CA, TX, and others) and make theirs interoperable with EZ-Pass (and its parts like I-Zoom, FastLane, and I-Pass).

[exit322]

There was an article a few weeks back in the Canton Repository about the long-proposed US 30 bypass of East Canton - that now the state has made it clear that there isn't going to be one built, but that it could be investigated as a toll road.

Hi, you want to guarantee no one will use a 4-mile-long bypass?

Here's an archive to the article:  http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12FB3D95206BFCE0&p_docnum=7&p_theme=gatehouse&s_site=RCOC&p_product=RCOC

[The Premier]

Hi, you want to guarantee no one will use a 4-mile-long bypass?

If it relieves traffic on those who wants to go to Pittsburgh and don't want to take the Turnpike, then you can expect it to be used.

[exit322]

Hi, you want to guarantee no one will use a 4-mile-long bypass?

If it relieves traffic on those who wants to go to Pittsburgh and don't want to take the Turnpike, then you can expect it to be used.

There isn't nearly enough through traffic going through East Canton and the sort like that to justify a toll road.  Locals won't use it except to mark it off any clinching lists.  Even as a bypass, if it only goes a few miles and then is back to two-lane, there probably isn't going to be enough use to justify it.  If it can't be built all the way to Route 11, then it's probably a waste of time overall.

[The Premier]

Even IF it was used as heavily as it was originally intended if the freeway was built, it could still be a 4-lane divided highway, using at-grade intersections for minor intersections but using interchange exits for major ones. Isn't that still possible?

[exit322]

Even IF it was used as heavily as it was originally intended if the freeway was built, it could still be a 4-lane divided highway, using at-grade intersections for minor intersections but using interchange exits for major ones. Isn't that still possible?

Supposedly, funding isn't there.  If it were, I do believe that would be all that's necessary.  There aren't many major roads between the two points; interchanges overall may not be necessary.