A bill in the Utah State Legislature would give the state the ability to establish new tolls even on pre-existing roads.
Proposed by Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, the bill passed the House with a 49-21 vote and got through the Senate with unanimous support. Niederhauser claims that new tolls are necessary to raise funds to make up for declines in the gas tax, to deal with increased traffic congestion, and to pay for road repairs.
The bill, SB71, would give the state new authority over tolling and traffic fines. It would:
- Allow the state transportation commission to establish tolls on pre-existing roads
- Allow the state to use new technologies such as traffic cameras and video technology to issue fines to drivers
- Use those new technologies to put a hold on vehicle registrations for drivers that have unpaid tolls
- Allow the state to establish tolls on pre-existing federal highways
Currently, it is illegal for any new tolls to be established on pre-existing interstates. This bill would allow Utah to immediately establish new tolls if that federal law is overturned. The current White House infrastructure plan proposes doing exactly that.
SB-71 will now go to Governor Gary Herbert for his signature.
Source: Utah, ttnews, truckersreport, fox13now, ksl
Douglas Kirk says
Total B.S…….they just raised the gas tax umpteen cents, now they need to steal more money? For years the focus has been on mpg, so suddenly the tax revenue is declining? I wonder if the toll money will actually be used for highway, or if it will go to more senseless social programs or, worse yet, mass transit projects. I’ve lived in Utah since 1973, and things haven’t changed a bit. Throw some asphalt down, run over it twice and call it a road. Pay $10 million to a construction company that WASN’T awarded a highway bid. Use truck-generated tax money and registration fees to build more lanes that we are NOT allowed to drive in. The list goes on……
Resident says
I disagree. You can not keep coming after the public for more money. When local,state and federal bodies can’t control their spending or steal funds from one area to spend in another. Get your house in order and stop asking the people for more money.
Dennis says
It is all a joke it is just to get more money for free from the working class People it is called getting something for free. Why would any one want to work just to turn around and give it back to the state the same thing is who wants to work for free we never get ahead new house food cars clothing you just can’t buy them!
Jon says
Another user base tax to allow Utah cars to go faster past the speed-limited trucks.
Creates an unsafe condition.
Tom says
The speed limited trucks are the ones that create the unsafe condition.
Andrew H says
If they can use EZ-Pass as a universal open road tolling option, then truckers can easily just pass the buck to the carriers, which in turn will pass the buck to the suppliers and distributors, which in turn will pass the buck to the consumer.
When the price of essential goods rises faster than inflation, will they make the connection?
sgs says
I would just take my trucks off of the interstate highway system and run secondary roads. The towns will get tired of the congestion.
Scott Coyner says
Maybe the graft and corruption by lying thieveing politicians and hiway commissions should be stopped first, then there might ne enough money already there to maintain the roads.
The interstate system was originally built with no tolls.
Something stinks!
Loco Gato says
Why aren’t we raising the gas tax? This could go a long way to maintaining our highways. Everyone hates toll roads. Could the reason for not raising the gas tax be EXXON and companies?
Richard says
Too bad that billionaires and big corporations don’t pay enough taxes and the states must go after the working people.
Tommy Molnar says
I believe billionaires pay the same percentage of taxes we do regarding day to day life, and corporation taxes are a whole different ballgame. I DO agree with “Resident” about government bodies stealing funds from various ‘solvent’ sectors to pay for overspending in others. There is SO much waste and corruption in government at ALL levels that if it somehow could be stopped, there would be more than enough money to go around.
The fed DEMANDED that car manufacturers make higher mileage cars. They did, and now the “unintended consequence” is – fewer tax dollars from gas sales. Duh.
Mister Driver says
Let them collect their money from those companies that will own or operate those self driving trucks! With all the money they save on the need to pay for drivers. Let them tax the the companies that operate what i perceive to be a self driving liability! Or their should be plenty of money left unused out of the budget allocated for snow removal this year to pay for road repairs. This has been the worst I have seen in the 25 yrs that I have been driving in this state. Both privately and commercially. Tolls on existing roads!!!!!!!??????? It already seems like each individual city has stepped up their game sending their code violations people out to generate income there. Im confident that if one was to compare code violations of citizens and their property to the property that is the responsibility of the city , state or county. You would find far more violations with government managed property than that of private property. 3 of the worst kept roads in the SLC area would be 3900 south, both direction, 8000 west and last but not least……… and this is an Interstate, What is up with those potholes on I80 westbound between downtown and the airport?
Loyd daily says
I think before taking more taxes,you might consider making it illegal to use road tax money for other than fixing infrastructure.Congress has robbed that fund at least twice in the past,because that money was just sitting there!!!
Barney Big Rig says
ALL POLITICIANS are Liars, Thieves, Cheats & Frauds!! They’ve managed to STEAL most of the money from the Federal, State, County & Local infrastructure funds & now want to legislate laws that would effectively try to cover their thefts!! Of course, once again they’ll use the TRUCKING industry as an EASILY TARGETED ATM!! ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!!💯🇺🇸👎😈🖕💩
Loco Gato says
All politicians aren’t all anything. It’s simplistic and unreasonably cynical. Maybe it’s just hyperbole. certainly not a reality. No doubt the trucking industry is a cash cow for politicians.
Rufus says
When pres. Eisenhower created hwy system, passed law that said each state was obligated 12% budget to the program. No specific amount or special tax was mentioned. 12% is 12%. If lawmakers followed the laws they make, then we wouldn’t have a funding problem.
David says
I disagree the trucking industry already pays more then it fair shareon taxes and per axel fees,on our roads . More taxes or fee’s will only drive up the cost of products delivered to every household in this country.
Tt says
Utah does not need this money, they have plenty of money to meet all of their needs.
This is just another gradual creeping in of Communism into our society but it comes in such small increments it goes unnoticed.
If you are living in Utah vote these people out of office and put a stop to this now!!
Joediddyo says
Really? Education would tell you that tolling of roads has nothing to do with socialism or communism.
Tolling has everything to do with the states providing their own funds for their own roads, not funded by the federal government
Basically it comes down to, state funds their own roads, federal government saves money on the bottom line, and, hopefully, will help the deficit.
The tolling was already in the works under the previous president,and is continuing with the current. Let states figure it out and quit using the feds as money babysitters.
Joediddyo says
I completely agree. First, let’s get the 4 wheelers off the interstate, that you can tell, shouldn’t be there in the 1st place. Bad driver normally means, low iq, which translates to low paying job, poor maintenance vehicle, and with this, unable to pay tolls, and in return, stay off the roads and out of the way.
Alex says
You do know that it’s Republicans approving this? If it was a Democratic government, they’d be taxing the rich and large corporations to get more revenue, just as they should. It’s the right that taxes the working class, not the left.
Joediddyo says
Always awaiting moderating
Terry Barron says
I travel from southern Oregon to South Dakota for my Construction business. If Utah thinks that they want to charge for the use of OUR interstate highway instead of adding on taxes to fuel like gasoline to the citizens of that state and put the burden back onto them and not truckers and others who are just driving though the state! Oregon has added on extra fuel taxes since I moved there in 1995! They took that money and put it into highways like I-5 and I-5 from Portland to The California border has been redone and 95% of the bridges and overpasses have been rebuild! If Utah goes ahead with this and puts a toll on I-80 I will take a new route and stay up North on I-84 and I-90 and I will not pay Utah a dime for the use of a highway that I have been paying for since the 60’s!!!!
Red says
Honestly it wouldn’t be a horrible thing IF the money actually went for road repairs AND we didn’t pay so much in taxes, fees, and tolls already. I don’t know about anyone else, but I definitely don’t feel like I’m getting my thousands of $$$ worth. I drive on federal interstates and state highways everyday that look like it was used for missle target practice. The roads are so bad in some places I swear it sounds like my dash is going to fall down into my lap. I have to tape cabinet doors shut, strap everything down… it’s ridiculous. Every single mile of the interstate system atleast should look like a smooth piece of glass and expansion joints connecting asphalt roads and concrete bridges together shouldn’t launch you 6 inches up into the air. Seems like lawmakers and government officials are good at coming up with solutions but never really solve anything. All the people who don’t work a single day all year, receive government assistance, and drive on public roads should have to apply their massive tax refund towards road repairs too.
Michael Brettler says
Way back in the 80’s the state of Connecticut had tolls on I-95. They were using the money from the tolls to fund other projects. When I-95 was falling apart the governor asked for Federal help to repave it. The Fed in reply said that the only way they could get funding was to take the tolls away. Within a matter of months the toll booths were gone and repaving had begun. Within a year all 100 plus miles were nicely paved. from the NY line to RI. It was like riding on air compared to what it was like. The Feds at the time made sure that none of that money was being used on any other project.
As long as there is a toll on it it is considered a private roadway.
The NJTP is a privately owned road.
Most of the Red states tend to spend more than they pay out.
Reuben says
I hate toll roads, fuel tax is enough. I hit the secondary roads, anything to skip the tolls, only a toll road if i really cant avoid it. While the extra time it takes sometimes cancels the savings, other times i have time to spare anyway. The extra expense has to be soaked up by someone.
The whole business is just swapping money around every wich way, everyone trying to gain a little more. Kind of a stupid game. Im going back to the land where real wealth originates.