The Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates, of which NATSO is a founding member, urged Wisconsin lawmakers to abandon the idea of using tolls to pay for transportation infrastructure.
In an editorial that appeared Feb. 28 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ATFI said Wisconsin, like many states, is facing a significant challenge with funding transportation infrastructure, but the ongoing debate over how to fix the problem has “taken a detour away from serious solutions.”
“A reasonable, efficient solution will require creativity and innovation from legislators, but tolling existing interstate lanes is too costly, harmful to businesses and consumers, and philosophically objectionable to be the right path forward,” ATFI said. “The Wisconsin legislature needs to steer the dialogue back toward viable solutions and ensure that Wisconsin interstates remain toll-free.”
ATFI said the consequences of tolling far outweigh any perceived benefits. Tolls represent double taxation, remain the least efficient and effective way to generate revenue for roads, and divert traffic onto secondary roads not constructed to handle high traffic volumes.
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