Are there toll alternatives?

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Monday, May 15, 2006 9:18 p.m. MDT
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The debate over whether to build a toll road on the west side of Salt Lake County and northern Utah County needs to focus on a central question. If tolls are not used, how would such a highway be funded?

The need for the highway is beyond debate. The Wasatch Front is growing quickly, and the last stretches of undeveloped land lie on the west side. Much of that is either under development or predicted to be so in the next several years. State officials say if a public-private toll-road partnership is worked out, a west-side Mountain View Corridor could be under construction by 2009. Without the tolling option, they have no prediction.

That is why the question of funding options is so important.

The Utah Trucking Association, which opposes toll roads, has asked why the state isn't pursuing what are known as GARVEE bonds, short for "grant anticipation revenue vehicle" bonds. So far, several states and two territories are using this new revenue source, which allows states to issue bonds that will be paid back by federal transportation grants. Idaho is one of those states. But GARVEE bonds have stirred controversy there and elsewhere. Any time money is borrowed, interest payments are involved. The state would not benefit from the total amount of federal grants it otherwise would receive.

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Truckers and others, however, raise some concerns about toll roads that, frankly, don't deserve much consideration. Chief among these is that the private-public partnership would endanger national security by possibly putting a major roadway in the hands of a foreign company. That danger, however, has never adequately been explained. Certainly, in a time of national crisis the U.S. military or any other government agency would be able to commandeer the roadway for legitimate purposes.

Other concerns about trucker access and costs are a bit suspect, as well. Truckers bear a large burden of highway costs regardless of the mechanism used. Also, concerns about so-called double-taxation are misplaced. Governments typically use a variety of funding mechanisms to support necessary services.

Tolling does pose a number of legitimate concerns, however. One is that it is unfair to toll west-side drivers and not those who drive I-215 on the east side. State officials explain that current law forbids using tolls on existing freeways.

Another is that a private company might not be as open about its finances as is the government. State law would need to require strict rules about public access.

The third concern is that Utahns won't ride a toll road.

These concerns are not insurmountable, but they pose challenges and require tough decisions. Meanwhile, tolling remains the best option on the table. Utahns need to make their feelings known, and if they don't like toll roads, they need to be prepared to present good alternatives.

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