Managed Lanes Connecting Metro Areas: The Pragmatic Solution

America's Interstate Highway System is facing two major problems: congestion and lifespan. Value-added tolling (VAT), which uses tolling to generate the revenue needed to rebuild the highways, is the most realistic way to pay for this reconstruction. The overall principle is to toll only when a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2019
Main Author: Feigenbaum, Baruch
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Budgets/Expenditures
Government
Infrastructure
Reason Foundation
Transportation
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:America's Interstate Highway System is facing two major problems: congestion and lifespan. Value-added tolling (VAT), which uses tolling to generate the revenue needed to rebuild the highways, is the most realistic way to pay for this reconstruction. The overall principle is to toll only when and where it creates a better deal for highway users than the status quo. Unfortunately, while acceptance for tolling selected lanes of a freeway is growing substantially, acceptance of tolling the entire roadway is more limited. A near-term approach would be to add new express toll lanes to the facility without rebuilding the existing general lanes. This option is not ideal, as it delays needed reconstruction of the road forcing state departments of transportation (DOTs) to invest in pavement overlays to extend the life of the roadway. However, the option does have many advantages.