New Bill Would Put Brakes on Interstate Tolling

WASHINGTON — Rep. G.K. Butterfield has introduced a bill that would curb the power of federal and state officials to toll interstate highways, just as tolls are increasingly seen by transportation officials as a key alternative to offsetting waning federal gas tax revenues for project funding.

The North Carolina Democrat’s bill, “Talk Before You Toll Act,” would require the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation departments to make the opinions of affected communities “the top priority” in deciding whether to toll interstates. 

North Carolina’s stretch of Interstate 95 is one of three interstate highways approved under a pilot program to explore the use of tolling federal roads. The other two chosen for the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program were Virginia’s piece of I-95 and Missouri’s share of Interstate 70.

Under the program, which North Carolina joined in February, states have to provide environmental studies and toll plans to the FHWA. The FHWA must then give final approval before any tolling can occur. States can then use the toll revenue to back bonds for maintaining and expanding the road, provided toll revenue is not used for anything other than the tolled highway.

But Butterfield’s bill would add more requirements for federal and state governments. The bill requires state officials to “meet monthly with local representatives of transportation and consumer advocacy groups who reside near the location of the proposed toll facility to discuss their views and recommendations for any changes or modifications to the State’s plans with respect to the facility.” FHWA would have to take the information gleaned from those public meetings into consideration before giving the state the go-ahead to begin tolling.

“I share the concerns of many people in eastern North Carolina that tolling I-95 would be too great of a burden on working families,” said Butterfield, who met last week with a North Carolina group that opposes the tolling. His legislation will prevent the state from making “a unilateral decision to toll I-95” without first hearing the voices of the residents, Butterfield said.

Butterfield also announced that he will cosponsor the “No Tolls in North Carolina Act,” introduced by Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., in March. That bill would prohibit North Carolina from tolling federal highways.

Greer Beaty, director of communications at the North Carolina Department of Transportation, stressed that the process is still in its early stages and that no concrete proposals have been approved. She said NCDOT is in the process of conducting the required studies, which will include an economic impact study.

“We’ll look at what the economic impact on the communities might be,” Beaty said.

A lobbyist representing state transportation officials, who did not want to be named, said states would prefer “broader authority” to conduct tolling, but understand that they likely won’t get it. He called the future of interstate tolling “very fluid.”

North Carolina Reps. Melvin Watt and Larry Kissell, both Democrats, are cosponsoring Butterfield’s bill.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Transportation industry Washington
MORE FROM BOND BUYER