Rhode Island’s recent Truck-Only Toll proposal was so unpopular that it was removed from the state budget following the massive outcry from trucking groups and Rhode Island businesses, but once it seemed that the threat was gone, Rhode Island did a 180 turn and proposed it all over again.
The truck-only tolls were proposed as part of Governor Gina Raimondo’s RhodeWorks plan which would spend $1 billion over the next 10 years to try and repair the state’s failing bridges and roads.
Not only is the toll now back in play, but the state Senate has already approved it by a landslide 33-4 vote. It still has to go on to the house before being signed into law, but this abrupt about-face caught the trucking industry completely by surprise.
In an attempt to make the tolls a little more palatable, a few changes have been made to the plan. Instead of a $6 per bridge per direction toll, the average toll price has dropped to $3.50, and the maximum toll to cross the state has been reduced from $50 to $30. Regardless of the price however, many industry voices say that charging any amount solely to commercial vehicles will dramatically increase shipping costs and damage Rhode Island businesses.
Additionally, the plan offers $13.5 million in tax credits, fuel and property tax rebates for Rhode Island-based trucking and shipping companies. This seems to be an attempt to lessen the blow for local companies and make it easier for the bill to be passed, but there is no relief for interstate truck traffic. So if Rhode Island produced everything it needed within its own borders, there’d be no issue.
“This process is moving entirely too fast and there have been no discussions or analysis on the fiscal impact of the proposed toll plan to the trucking industry or the business community,” said President of the Rhode Island Trucking Association Christopher Maxwell. “We want to be part of the solution, but there are simply too many unanswered questions at this point.”
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Source: truckinginfo, ttnews, thetrucker, providencejournal, thetruckersreport, thetruckersreport
ScottSr says
An east coast state double talking what a shock. Given how small Rhode Island is why do they believe forcing a truck to pay $30 to travel through the blink of an eye state is a good idea. Nice going Rhode Island, care to see how we react?
VanHorne says
“We have to pass the bill, so you can find out what is in it.”. – Nancy Pelosi (D)
Ring a bell, anyone?
Stephen Thornton says
Doesn’t matter of you pass the bill or not, once you start picking on trucks then you can drive your card to the Wal-Mart DC and get your stuff because we won’t bring it.
rufus says
All they would really have to do is enforce the traffic laws and they would make a fortune off of speeding automobiles. Oh! wait! Only truckers have to follow the traffic laws. Guess they would only make a small fortune instead of a big one.
DetroitDiesel says
Who cares no one aint gonna do nothin about it except squawk! Why you think they did it. Truckers union is very weak.
Yogi says
Not really sure what the big deal is here. Look at it this way … no trucking company actually NEEDS to go to Rhode Island. It’s not like there is massive industry there just begging for trucks to move their product out. It’s not a hotbed of freight activity. Basically it’s only trucks delivery staples that need to be there, so when the toll comes into effect, the new rate is simply this … the current rate, plus the tolls in and out, plus an admin fee to manage the toll cost. Pretty simple really.
In the end it’s the Rhode Island citizenry that’s going to pay, so why should we, the trucking community, really care?
char says
Another state to put on my list that I don’t deliver to. Not like I delivered there much anyways. Besides NE pays crap for the headache anyways. Who cares if they eat. Not me
Nat says
Well if it becomes law I won’t be delivering any loads there. What ya think about that. Find another sucker
Bilbo Baggins says
I guess it will turn out to br like Ohio. Drivers taking state highways to avoid the tolls and pis@ off the locals for clogging the roads.
moose says
Hopefully truckers will just stay out of Rhode Island. With the advanced technology we have today we should be able to come together and boycott this state.
mike says
there are many ways to get around that toll and I know them all .
dwkent says
C’mon, grow up, boycott bullshit. $3.50 per bridge is going to break the trucking companies and freight rates will become outrageous? lol, what a joke.
Stephen Thornton says
Celadon has 3500 trucks x $3.50 = $12,500 per day one way and $25,000 round trip. Now how many trucks are out there???
mike says
I’m sorry to admit that I’m from RI. I think this all had to do with the bridge repair on 95 in Pawt.that was closed to trucks.I f you were a single axle tractor you could cross it but a tandem couldn’t,talk about stupid. That was one hell of a toll though,$3,000 to cross a bridge, if they caught you. It is my understanding that they caught one driver several times in the same day . Now that s worse then the dang toll. Don’t blame me I just live here.
Douglas Kirk says
Piss on RI. How do they figure that trucks are the only vehicles worth picking on? Cars outnumber trucks by several million to one. Just look at the revenue they’re missing out on. I used to like going to New England, if only to argue with the hard-headed Yankees, but I think I can safely cross them all off my list.
J Carter says
Cause we’re politically easy targets.
Can’t charge the 4-wheelers the toll, because the auto industry would get up in arms.
“You’ll make it less lucrative for people to buy cars in R.I.!” they’ll say.
Also, the oil industry would get up in arms.
“People will drive less, and therefore buy less gas!!!” they’ll say.
Trucks have no choice. They have businesses ordering freight. If drivers want to get paid, they have to take/bring that freight.
The only solution to all of this, is for our government to come down to reality. The wasteful spending needs to stop; all of the money that has been wasted on who knows what over the last few decades, could/should have been invested in infrastructure. But that it wasn’t, is why the politicians are turning to the helpless to refill their depleted coffers.
Politicians will always go after the most politically easy targets. Cowards who are afraid of losing votes and the prospect of losing their positions – where they SHOULD be examples of the best of us.
Shame on you, Rhode Island. You got yourselves in a bind through your own mismanagement and politicking, and are now going after the most vulnerable and those able to do the least about it, to bail yourselves out of your problems.
Infosaur says
Solution, there’s a Pilot at I-95 in CT. The last exit before the state line. If you’re delivering to RI that’s where you go.
Everyone else just go up to 84 and bypass the state.
Sheesh if we can’t boycott ONE little state with 40 miles of interstate across it then we’ll never make a point.
JJ says
Let the box trucks deliver to them. Who cares, we don’t need their skanky little state anyways. They have a retard for a governor anyways. Small minded state. I live in the Northeast in northern VT and run all 48 states and Canada, I could care less about RI. What they don’t want to connect with is that it will only raise the cost of goods transported to their state, you know what comes around goes around type thing.
Stephen Thornton says
So, if Rhode Isand doesn’t get any freight because truckers not driving up there then what?? I just took them off my list of states to deliver in….good luck with getting freight.