A Dollar A Mile
How much would you pay for a fast and reliable commute around the D.C. area? Does a dollar a mile sound reasonable? According to a recent Post article, some developers are considering premium pay fast lanes as a way to alleviate the area's notorious congestion. But the article left some readers with more questions than answers, and others sounding doubtful about the plan.
Who pays and who benefits from these roads, wonders sdrawded, who complains that the article does not make clear the private-public divide, if any, in funding and maintaining private toll roads. "...Surely no one could have a problem with a truly private toll road. But a publicly supported one that only benefits a few wealthy entrepreneurs and drivers is monstrous."
Clogged roadways can be traced back to "NIMBYs" and "environmentalists," says CEEAF, who complains that such groups stopped "...planned roads for selfish, frivolous reasons," a move that has left "Lexus Lane" solutions for the privileged and decision-making gridlock for everyone else.
jesabol isn't convinced that premium pay toll lanes will yield long-term change to the region's traffic woes. Her only comfort is that "...suburbanites would finally be paying the FULL price of things... instead of discount rates for things that all others supplement."
High priced private toll roads have already been tried and proven a failure in California, claims Falcon408. He predicts the private venture would go belly up, leaving taxpayers with a bailout. His advice? "If it comes to a vote...those with an ounce of sense will vote it out!"
Pets_or_Meat also fears a taxpayer bailout, but says any licence to build or maintain the roads should be insured against that possibility. Still, he says, "In general private industry can do a better job than government in every case.
By Lindsay Howerton |
December 14, 2005; 3:03 PM ET
| Category:
Washington Area
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Posted by: commuter | December 29, 2005 07:05 PM
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No worries from me on these roads as long as they are truly privately funded and built on purchased (NOT deeded!) land.
But I better not be sitting in traffic due to the construction while they build these private roads!! This is a non-starter for me until they can show all of us a good construction plan that doesn't actually make things worse for the rest of us, temporarily or long-term.