Rhode Island is moving forward with its plan to set up truck-only tolls and the trucking industry is looking for any way to stop it – no matter how unlikely the method. This time, the American Trucking Association is using what it claims are flawed environmental reports to fight back.
In the past, the ATA has argued that the tolls would violate constitutional laws, create unsafe traffic diversions to smaller roads, negatively impact Rhode Island businesses, drive up prices for consumers, and all while raising far less money for the state than they’re supposed to. Those challenges have gone unheeded by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo who is barreling forward with the truck tolls – a major source of revenue for her RhodeWorks infrastructure plan.
On November 1st, RIDOT published a report on the environmental impact that the new tolls would have in order to be able to start tolling. The ATA is claiming that “the [Environment Assessment’s] faulty analysis” should prohibit the tolls from getting the go-ahead. They’re asking the Federal Highway Administration to reject the Environmental Assessment and “order further study through an Environmental Impact Statement.”
This tactic is not unlike the one employed by the FBI to take down notorious mob boss Al Capone. Federal Agents were having trouble proving he was a mobster – so instead they proved that he wasn’t paying his taxes. ATA is having trouble proving any of their more severe claims about the truck-only tolls, so now it seems like they’re trying to see if they can find a different way to keep the tolls from becoming a reality.
It’s not just Rhode Island truck-only tolls that the ATA is concerned about. If they succeed there, they could spread to other states. And even if they are eventually implemented, if the ATA can make Rhode Island fight for every step along the way, other states may decide that it’s simply not worth the hassle.
“Given the national precedent that this initiative would establish, ATA will exhaust every legislative, regulatory and legal avenue to defeat the implementation of the tolling portion of RhodeWorks and prevent this cancerous proposal from spreading around the country,” promised ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “This effort is still in the early stages and we intend to fight this battle for as long as it takes.”
Source: prnewswire, truckinginfo, RIDOT
A summary of comments to come:
It’s the fault of elogs
I have been driving CD years and in quitting because of this
It’s the fault of all these new drivers who don’t know shit.
The government is reaching too far (not unjustified)
They’re going to drive Owner/Ops out of business
bah, all they have to do is announce a plan to have all major carriers charge a $500 sur charge for all loads going there due to tolls and that revenue grab will dry up pretty quick. Not sure why they think this is such a good idea, truckers won’t be paying for it. The price will simply be passed on to the customer and everything in Rhode Island will cost a bit more. In effect they will be taxing themselves.
Very simply…just pass the costs on to the customer like everyone else does…If it costs 50 or 100 extra bucks to drive through the state add it to the bill!
Only Truckers are willing to work for free and then just keep on doing it and whine about it…
Next time that you want to work for free…Just come by my place anytime 24/7…I’ll find something for you to do…
Company’s could pay there driver to bypass Rhode Island and other state might think Twice Before Considering current tru considering tolling truck only
ATA should stop representing drivers because they have not been authorized and/or given consent by any driver to speak in their name! Every since they openly supported ELDs, they proved that they are just a “tool” of big companies and government!
ATA has never claimed to represent drivers, they represent the Trucking Companies. Anytime their arguments fall in line with drivers it’s simply because it is in the best interest of the carrier.
Want Rhode Island to put a stop to truck only tolls? It’s really very simple.
STOP GOING TO RHODE ISLAND.
it is smaller than 225 of the 254 counties in Texas- should be pretty easy to bypass
agreed- if they want to buy groceries or anything else- make the people drive 15 miles to CT or MA
Boycott Rhode Island. If All truckers and company’s refuse to go through Rhode Island. They would stop this nonsense. They are ruining the trucking industry. First E-logs and now this. what’s next???
Easy answer, stop delivering in that state……