Good afternoon,
A weekend story on Route 301 truck toll evasion enforcement efforts led to some interesting comments on our Facebook page. It is clear that motorists are not happy with the $4 tolls (discounts are offered for frequent users). Some talk about scandals and other work at the crossroads.
The immediate issue here is that rural roads in Maryland and Delaware that were not built for constant pounding by big rigs.
It is equally clear that many people have little idea about how Delaware pays for roads.
Gas taxes in the state have not been raised in 20 years at a time when our neighbors have swallowed hard and raised the one tax that is visible every time we go out.
The feds still kick in about 80 percent of the cost of new roads and improvements, despite the lack of a federal gas tax hike since the 1990s.
Meanwhile, gas tax revenues are flattening, thanks to newer vehicles with higher gas mileage figures, not to mention a growing fleet of electric vehicles.
The General Assembly has done a decent job of raising tolls and fees in coming up with a program that makes a dent in the repair and widening backlog. Still, the state was hard-pressed to come up with the funds for the badly needed 301 bypass.
It did not help that disputes and procrastination over Route 301 went on for decades and drove up costs as the MOT area underwent rapid growth. Decades ago, Maryland moved forward with a four-lane on its side of the line and simply bulldozed over lingering objections.
In the case, of 301, the federal government was kind enough to pony up money to make up for toll shortfalls that typically occur in the early years of a new route.
State officials are confident that as time goes on, more motorists will pay the tolls and truckers will simply add tolls to the cost of doing business. Given the experience with the Route 1 tolls, their optimism is justified.
The discouraging part is that the first people to gripe about potholes or construction delays would have complained the loudest about an additional few pennies a gallon on the gas tax that might have reduced the hated tolls.
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