BCT Editorial – 5/22/08

This page was last updated on May 22, 2008.

Do something; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 22, 2008.

The editorial says, “But in the end, lawmakers have few options when it comes to raising money to fund the state’s crumbling roads and bridges and underfinanced mass transit systems. They can either: (a) lease the turnpike, (b) impose tolls on Interstate 80, (c) raise taxes or (d) do nothing.”

Here’s how to address the issue.

1. Eliminate taxpayer subsidies for government-run bus, train, etc. systems. These systems must exist on fares paid by their riders or they should be shut down. Tolls and diesel/gasoline taxes – paid by people who pay for their own transportation – should not be used to subsidize people who don’t pay their own way.

2. Place tolls on all limited access highways where practical. Use the toll revenue collected for a road or bridge only for the “care and feeding” of that road or bridge. For example, tolls collected on the Monaca-Rochester Bridge could not be used for the Vanport Bridge.

3. Make local municipalities responsible for local roads. The responsibility for far too many local roads has been dumped on state taxpayers. For example, though Center Grange Road never leaves Center Township, it has a state highway designation (SR 3012).

4. Turn over responsibility for interstates and roads with U.S. route designations to the states and eliminate federal fuel taxes. Road names/numbers would not be changed.

5. After all the above has been done, set the state fuel taxes such that they can pay for the proper maintenance of all “real” state roads/bridges not covered by tolls. No more, no less.