Rep. Ellmers Seeks to Prevent Tolls on I-95

May 21, 2012

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Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) said preventing the expansion of tolls on Interstate-95 in North Carolina is among her top legislative priorities because tolls will hurt businesses within her state.

Speaking to NATSO members as part of NATSO's Day on Capitol Hill, Rep. Ellmers said North Carolinians already pay the sixth-highest gas taxes in the country and should not have to bear the additional burden of tolls.

Rep. Ellmers said the state of North Carolina has pulled nearly $4 billion from its transportation program to pay for other state budgetary needs. As a result the state now is seeking to generate nearly $4.4 billion through tolling. Had the state managed its funds properly, she said, sufficient funds would exist in the transportation budget to maintain and repair roads.

Rep. Ellmers said she supports the idea that lawmakers should do away with the tolling pilot program created under the transportation reauthorization known as SAFETEA-LU to prevent states from seeking to expand tolling initiatives.

Earlier this year, Rep. Ellmers introduced the "No Tolls in North Carolina Act of 2012" in efforts to prevent the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) from approving the pilot program that would add tolls on the interstate highway to pay for its expansion.

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This article originally ran in NATSO News Weekly (NNW), NATSO's member only weekly electronic newsletter. NNW is packed with the latest updates on government and business issues affecting the truckstop and travel plaza industry.

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NATSO News Weekly (NNW)

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