February 28, 2010 | Story by: Hal Goodtree | Categories: Opinion
Photo by Hal Goodtree
Cary, NC – The construction of I-540 in south western Wake continues. The bulldozers are plowing their way south from McCrimmon Parkway to Green Hope School Road.
Likewise, the initiative to put tolls on the southwestern Wake section of the new roads gains both momentum and traction. NCTA awarded a contract in December for $37.6 million to build the toll infrastructure.
Meanwhile, no price for the toll itself has been fixed. But a figure of $2.00 per trip is in the air, according to No Tolls on 540.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
CaryCitizen wants to know what you think about the plan to put tolls on the southwestern stretch of 540. Good idea? Bad idea? Do you have a better idea?
Leave your thoughts in the comments section down below.
DO SOME RESEARCH
Here are some places where you can find out more about the I-540 loop:
Dave in Cary
February 28, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Why is NCDOT turning down federal funds in favor of a toll road? The federal government has funds available for shovel-ready projects as part of the economic stimulus package. A toll road in this case is ridiculous. The usual case of a toll road is to capture revenue from out-of-community vehicles who pass through an area. With this toll road, members of this community will be paying as part of their daily commute. A toll road makes no sense in this case.
Bob
March 1, 2010 at 7:21 am
NO tolls! This is ridiculous! No one wants this, yet it continues to go through. I’ve written all of our representatives about this, and get “oh, well, tolls now…huh.”. I’m sure all we’d have to do is follow the money, and we’d find out. I say if we can’t afford it, don’t do it!
Robert Campbell
March 1, 2010 at 8:26 am
Dave hit the nail on the head! Why is this moving forward without any thought of taking advantage of federal funding!???? Could this be ramped way up and employing even more people? Already this had turned into another money grab with the NC Toll Authority most likely sipping Caffè Lattes (on a machine paid for by the tax payer) while looking for the best place to summer. I’ve actually met with the NCTA as they came to my place of work to explain just how great this whole system will be. Enough already! This will NEVER GO AWAY.
Robert Campbell
March 1, 2010 at 8:31 am
And as if it weren’t bad enough — you tell me if you don’t smell a rat when you look at who is in charge: http://www.ncturnpike.org/about/staff/
(Let’s put a lobbyist in charge with good PR experience, yeah, THAT’S a good idea!!!!)
Joyner’s career spans nearly 30 years of experience in federal, state and local government, with assignments as an Intergovernmental and Congressional Relations Officer and as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. He was also the first person to be named Vice-President of State Government Affairs for Burson-Marsteller, the nation’s largest public relations/public affairs firm. As such, he managed a nationwide corps of lobbyists and oversaw state public affairs strategies for many of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies.
Cindy Sinkez
March 1, 2010 at 8:45 am
Just say no to the toll!
The average commuter could be charged $20 a week just to drive to and from work. This can pose a hardship on family’s finances already stretched due to the economy. Will the numerous school busses perusing this highway have to pay a toll to use the road? It seems to me that placing a toll on this road is shortsighted since there are federal funds available for projects just like this one.
Curtis Leary
March 1, 2010 at 8:58 am
No tolls on I-540, instead, place tolls on I-95. Most vehicles traveling on I-95 pass through NC on ther way North or South, with very few stopping as gas is cheaper in SC and VA, so why stop? If you travel North to NJ or NY, you will pay tolls to the northern states upwards to $11 or $14 dollars one way. NC could use toll dollars to repair our portion of I-95 and add lanes and create needed jobs.
Hal Goodtree
March 1, 2010 at 10:23 am
It’s always seemed odd that so many states put a toll on I-95 but NC doesn’t.
TriangleExplorer
March 1, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Those that are saying NCDOT is turning down federal stimulus money are incorrect. NC was awarded $838 million in federla money for transportation projects. That money needs to be spread across the state. It all can’t be used on any one project, like I-540. The I-540 project is a billion dollar project so the federal money wouldn’t be enough anyway.
Also, at the time the money was awarded it could only be put towards “shovel ready projects” meaning the projected had to already be set to start within 120 days. This was not the case with I-540. So you see, using federal funds was never the answer.
If the people of Southern Wake county want to see this extension completed within the next decade they have to swallow the bitter pill of accepting a Toll road. Otherwise this road project would not be funded for at least another 25 years. I know that is not a popular answer, but that is the reality of the situation
Jim Scarborough
March 1, 2010 at 8:27 pm
I’m with Curtis Leary. Make I-95 a toll road. This is reasonable
because travelers frequently use I-95 to pass through the state but
much less often use it for intrastate travel, and as such, they pay
less than their share of gasoline taxes in this state, particularly if
they just filled up in Virginia or South Carolina. Toll booths could
be erected at the state border, and travelers through could pay half
the toll at each end. A quick look at the FHWA web site suggests that
such a toll might be permissible under title 23, section 129 -
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tolling_pricing/toll_agreements.htm . This
alternative funding would disencumber money presently used for I-95
maintenance to build NC-540 which is used exclusively for intrastate
travel.
Winston Hooker Sr.
March 1, 2010 at 9:15 pm
While I prefer not to have any toll roads, the idea of charging a toll on the western half of the I-540 loop is ridiculous unless they also plan to make the eastern havlf ot the I-540 loop also a toll road. Otherwise we paid for half ot their free loop and now would be paying for all of our half. If they make the entire loop a toll road, they could cut the tool rate in half.
Shawn Madden
March 15, 2010 at 12:29 pm
The article above states they are paying $37.6 million to build the toll infrastructure? That is ridiculous. They will never even recoup the costs of building the toll infrastructure much less help in the building of the highway!!