I was thinking the other day about states and countries using gas tax and toll highways as a method of funding the budget for roads. I live in Washington, with no toll roads that I know of (with the exception of a few bridges between Washington and Oregon), but a relatively high gas tax. Other states have low gas taxes and high tolling on the roads, and obviously others are in between. I suppose this is the case for other nations, but I don't really keep track.

Personally, I see gas tax as the best, because it is in proportion to those who drive the most usually, with the exception of gas-guzzlers that take a lot at the pump, but may not be on the road as much as those driving small sedans. Another benefit is an incentive to drive less, or a deterrent to drive more, whereas tollways mostly just attract people to side roads.

Tell me what you think. (and why, as well) :)

Gas tax because it addresses the much bigger problem of pollution (it is more then fair to charge gas-guzzling SUV more for over consumtion of gas, you have a chocie when you buy the car) is , and its fair since every one pays the same rate and it doesnt punish people based on where they live. The gas tax should be higher in urban areas I know its like that here in Vancouver and it makes sence because if you have the option of good public transit you should use it.

You could also just buy a smart car which can go from Vancouver to San Fran on one tank which costs about $25.

http://galleries.wheels24.co.za/cars/mercedes/smart/images/05.jpg

definetly gas tax. It also makes for much easier fee collection.

toll highways are a pain in the ass. they slow down traffic and you have to find money so that you can pay for it. just look at the coquihalla highway in BC. it's a pain in the ass. just have higher gas taxes.

Well there is always electronic tolls.

http://www.407etr.com/images/fs_photo/fs_gantry.jpg

http://www.407etr.com/images/fs_photo/fs_gantryrtc.jpg

electronic tolls still are a problem. They demand a large mechanism of detection, and sending of bills, etc.

Tolls cause traffic tie-ups, slow trip time, are a huge expense so not much of what is collected actually is profit, and they are a safety issue as well. And jus because you have a toll does not mean that the tax rate goes down, unfortunately - there is no maximum taxation rate.

However, the governments love them. More income (precisely because the gas tax rate does not go down beacuse you now charge a toll), it's easier to pass than a tax hike, and it is a good control feature for traffic as well. So I wouldn't expect them to go away.

Tolls for me :)

Tolls not gas tax i want my gas guzzlers :horse:

Higher toll roads, because it keeps me from going to Manatee County through the Skyway Bridge every week and it saves me money on gas even though my car is not a gas guzzler. :colgate:

Ditch Tolls all together and up Gas tax as much as necessary. A far more equitable system. Lucky enough where I am, there are only a few toll roads, more or less if I'm not going to the airport I'm pretty much safe. Though they are planning to add more. Mostly because here Gas taxes are national taxes, and it's local governments who are feeling the pressure for new roads.

Gas tax because it addresses the much bigger problem of pollution (it is more then fair to charge gas-guzzling SUV more for over consumtion of gas, you have a chocie when you buy the car) is , and its fair since every one pays the same rate and it doesnt punish people based on where they live. The gas tax should be higher in urban areas I know its like that here in Vancouver and it makes sence because if you have the option of good public transit you should use it.

You could also just buy a smart car which can go from Vancouver to San Fran on one tank which costs about $25.

http://galleries.wheels24.co.za/cars/mercedes/smart/images/05.jpg

That's my old avatar. :)

Background
Toll highways are nothing new. However, with limited infrastructure budgets around the world, would you support tolls to fund expansion and maintenance, such as adding tolls to existing highways or building new toll highways?

N.J. considers turning free highways into private toll roads
By BETH DeFALCO
15 November 2006

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Some long and winding roads may lead to New Jersey lowering its sky-high property taxes and increasing aid to school districts.

Besides considering selling or leasing the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration on Wednesday said it wants more information on the pros and cons of converting several freeways into tollways.

Indiana has leased its northern toll road for 75 years for $3.8 billion.

Specifically, the state is looking to hire transportation consultants to study the conversion of routes 78, 80 and 95, the Pulaski Skyway and the section of Route 440 in Middlesex County between the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway to toll roads, according to a request for proposals released Wednesday.

Privatizing New Jersey roads is just one of the ideas Corzine is considering as a way to help shore up state finances and lower the state's highest-in-the-nation property tax.

"The administration will be looking into the pros and cons, the upsides and downsides and what is in the best interests of taxpayers and users of our assets," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "After all is said and done, the most favorable option for an asset could very well be to do nothing."

State Senate President Richard Codey has said money earned from transferring control of state assets such as the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway to an outside entity not only could allow the state to slash property taxes by an average of 20 percent, but also increase school funding by $1 billion.

Besides trying to figure out the value of privatizing tollways, consultants will also try to determine the impact adding new tolls would have on nearby roads.

States are allowed to set up tollways on interstate highways but must first get the approval of the Federal Highway Administration.

The Star-Ledger of Newark first reported on the plan for new tollroads in Wednesday's newspapers.

Meanwhile, New Jersey officials have been eying as examples two recent toll-road leases, one in Chicago and one in Indiana, both of which leased roadways to a Spanish-Australian consortium.

Chicago will get $1.83 billion for a 99-year lease.

Under the Indiana agreement, the consortium can begin raising tolls annually either by 2 percent, the rate of inflation or increase in gross domestic product, beginning in 2010. Most of the lease money will be used to help finance hundreds of highway and other transportation projects, according to Indiana officials.

However, some New Jersey lawmakers question the benefits of letting a private company run some of the busiest roads in America.

"I am not convinced that there is support for the sale or lease of the toll roads to a for-profit private company," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee.

Wisniewski said he doubts a private company can make enough money off a toll road lease without increasing tolls. Otherwise, he said, the state would be making billions off toll roads already.

"If we want more to come out of the road," he said, "we have to put more into the road."

------

Associated Press Writer Tom Hester Jr. contributed to this report.

I'm kinda glad that Perth's freeways & highways are toll free. For what I've seen of europes tollways, they take up alot of space, and unless you have one of those electronic toll cards, you could be queing up to get through. Again, thank goodness we don't have them.

In The Netherlands, driving is very expensive. Our tax-rates are high, up to over a thousand euro's a year for a normal diesel-fueled car. Our taxes on gas are among the highest of Europe. When you buy a new car, you have to pay 45% of the price EXTRA to the government, and of course, VAT.

But they are voting for a new way of paying for our road system, mileage-paying , electronically. This will cost the average commuter some 100 - 300 euro's EXTRA each month.

But tolling here is bullshit anyway, the government gains 20 billion euro's each year from automobile-owners, and spend only 2,7 billion of those 20 billion to the road system. No wonder why our country is among the worst in traffic congestion.

Which country has the best e-toll system in place? All Melbourne (Australia)freeways and motorways have e-tolls. There are no ‘cash boots’. Sydney is following the steps…

The tollways of Texas all have electronic tolling. We've got the best of both worlds, you can drive through with your TxTag or if you are using a rental or a car that doesn't have one you can still pay with cash.

The German truck toll.

In greece e-pass tolls have been introduced the last years, there is a state company that is converting the classic tolls to e-pass tolls, but not all the highway network has e-pass tolls.
And there is an issue of some highways that are controlled of private companies, there is e-pass there but u have to use another system to pass those tolls.
http://www.aodos.gr/images/lorida_epass.gif

Teo-pass:http://www.teo.org.gr/MainFrame.asp?page=TEO_PASS.htm
Attiki odos:http://www.aodos.gr/homepageattiki.asp?catid=4466
Rion-antirion bridge:http://www.gefyra.gr/Tolls.asp?P=4&lang=EN

The tollways of Texas all have electronic tolling. We've got the best of both worlds, you can drive through with your TxTag or if you are using a rental or a car that doesn't have one you can still pay with cash.

Are the TX tags just bar coded stickers? I've seen pictures but never clear enough to tell what it is I'm looking at.

The German truck toll.

joking? :lol:

The worst system I know so far :ohno:

joking? :lol:

The worst system I know so far :ohno:

why? is it like Austrian? if it is, then it should be ok

Are the TX tags just bar coded stickers? I've seen pictures but never clear enough to tell what it is I'm looking at.


They do have a barcode but I think the main thing that enables it to function is a radio frequency ID chip that accesses your account when you pass under the toll plaza.

In Houston they've been using something called EZTag for a long time but the TxTag and EZTag work on all the tollways across Texas.

Here is the website for the TxTag. http://www.txtag.org/ They have a picture of it on the front page. It's a sticker that goes on your windshield.

EZTag https://eztagstore.com/default.html

joking? :lol:

The worst system I know so far :ohno:

In our media, we only hear it works good.

What are the problems to day with the tolling system?

The 407ETR in Toronto is one of the first (or the first?) highways to use purely
electronic tolling, even for cars that do not have a pass, in which case a video
camera photographs the license plate.

Another highway that is based on the 407 but uses the next generation of the
technology is Highway #6 in Israel (Cross-Israel Highway).

how can it be all e-toll? what if you're a visitor from outside the city? unless its standardized and mandatory for all vehicles in the country...

hmm.. the SR-91 here connecting Redondo Beach to Riverside here in Southern California is the only etoll that I know of (and its only for a fraction of the freeway´s length), in fact it´s one of the very few tollways in Southern California, there´s only a handful

how can it be all e-toll? what if you're a visitor from outside the city? unless its standardized and mandatory for all vehicles in the country...
I do not know very well, but I do know that indeed some conflicts arise, for
example if you drive on the highway and then "run away" back to your country :)

If you're just from another place in Canada or even the US then you will be
mailed the bill based on your license plate and vehicle registration. It's not a
huge deal though as all highways except the 407 in Toronto are free.

In Israel, if you rent a car, you usually have to sign an agreement stating that
you will not be using Highway #6 (similarly, as of now it is the only toll highway
in Israel).

People who use the highway regularly get a special transponder (kind of like
the various e-toll passes) which also provides lower rates.

Here is more information if you're interested:
407ETR (http://www.407etr.com/About/tolls_explained.htm)
Cross-Israel Highway (http://www.kvish6.co.il/asp/project/english.html)

I do not know very well, but I do know that indeed some conflicts arise, for
example if you drive on the highway and then "run away" back to your country :)

If you're just from another place in Canada or even the US then you will be
mailed the bill based on your license plate and vehicle registration. It's not a
huge deal though as all highways except the 407 in Toronto are free.

In Israel, if you rent a car, you usually have to sign an agreement stating that
you will not be using Highway #6 (similarly, as of now it is the only toll highway
in Israel).

People who use the highway regularly get a special transponder (kind of like
the various e-toll passes) which also provides lower rates.

Here is more information if you're interested:
407ETR (http://www.407etr.com/About/tolls_explained.htm)
Cross-Israel Highway (http://www.kvish6.co.il/asp/project/english.html)

I was thinking of australia, since the whole landmass is one country, it would be easy to do something like that, and I wasn't really thinking of other countries.

In the USA, I think it would make sense to leave some cash lanes since e-toll is not standardized, and paying the bill through the email is smart.

Also, I'm no stranger to e-toll =) In the Bay Area, there's a vast number of bridges that are tolled, so we have a system of transponders, and if you violate it, there's a penalty of $30 (the tolls are normally $4) but if you have an account registered, they will just add your license plate to the system, and you dont even need a transponder, as long as your plate is registered with them!

In France the e-toll is called liber-t (]http://www.autoroutes.fr/liber-t_abonnement/libert-t_abonnement.php)

http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag236/telepeage-2.jpg

http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag236/telepeage-1.jpg

^^

Do you have to stop for those automated toll booths? I went through the TxTag toll lanes at 85mph this morning.

All freeways in Puerto Rico have Autoexpreso(e-tolls),or you can pay with cash.

In Spain it is called: VIA-T.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Spain_traffic_signal_s32.svg/193px-Spain_traffic_signal_s32.svg.png

http://www.viat.es/

^^

Do you have to stop for those automated toll booths? I went through the TxTag toll lanes at 85mph this morning.

no, usually speed limit is 30 or 40 km/h. in Croatia it is called ENC, we have it since last summer

I do not know very well, but I do know that indeed some conflicts arise, for
example if you drive on the highway and then "run away" back to your country :)

If you're just from another place in Canada or even the US then you will be
mailed the bill based on your license plate and vehicle registration. It's not a
huge deal though as all highways except the 407 in Toronto are free.

In Israel, if you rent a car, you usually have to sign an agreement stating that
you will not be using Highway #6 (similarly, as of now it is the only toll highway
in Israel).

People who use the highway regularly get a special transponder (kind of like
the various e-toll passes) which also provides lower rates.

Here is more information if you're interested:
407ETR (http://www.407etr.com/About/tolls_explained.htm)
Cross-Israel Highway (http://www.kvish6.co.il/asp/project/english.html)

I'm not sure if it's a new thing on the 407, but my car was registered for Alberta when I lived there 3 years ago. I drove on the 407 numerous of times with the Alberta Plate and never got a bill in the mail. I heard that it was free if your licence plate is not Ontario....But like I said, I'm not sure if they changed the rules.

Oh and by the way, the 407 is usually less busy compared to the 401, so it's a good alternative, but that was 3-5 years ago when I lived there. It's probably just as busy as the 401 now.

Jimmy

In Czechia we have e-toll system similar to Austrian since it's from the same company Kapsch.

There are gates with sensors along all motorways and expressways, every camion have special box on board and pay as much as he do kilometres on these roads.
http://www.premid.cz/fileadmin/templates/premid/pix/images/stationenforcement_scaled.jpg.
http://img.aktualne.centrum.cz/1/31/13127-mikrovlnne-snimace-firmy-kapsch.jpg
In future e-toll will be on all roads in the country and system will use GPS/Galileo.

I don't like the way some of the e-tolls are in Europe, seeing from pictures here and experience from driving all around europe. It looks like your going into a toll booth and most times you have to slow down quite a bit or even stop. The 407etr in Toronto, when your on the ramp heading for the actual highway, there is like a series of large bars that go from the sides up over across the ramp and on the other side, not big just like metal bars with cameras, sensors and lights at the top that take pictures of the licesnse plate at any speed you want. I'd slow down on the frigid -30 degree temperatures in the winter though;) ahaha

Some people, me included, have a 407 transponder that beeps when you leave the highway signaling that you've left and it registered your time on the highway from the beginning.

I don't like the way some of the e-tolls are in Europe, seeing from pictures here and experience from driving all around europe. It looks like your going into a toll booth and most times you have to slow down quite a bit or even stop.

yes, that's right. actually, it depends about syytem. Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Croatia have that way. Austria, Germany and Czech Rep. have vignettes for cars (Germany not), and portals which are taking credits from reciever for trucks. in Austria you have few toll booths which are functionating like those in Spain, France, Italy... (usually for payng longer tunnels). we got used to classic toll booths and we find it hard to change it :)

I don't like the way some of the e-tolls are in Europe, seeing from pictures here and experience from driving all around europe. It looks like your going into a toll booth and most times you have to slow down quite a bit or even stop. The 407etr in Toronto, when your on the ramp heading for the actual highway, there is like a series of large bars that go from the sides up over across the ramp and on the other side, not big just like metal bars with cameras, sensors and lights at the top that take pictures of the licesnse plate at any speed you want. I'd slow down on the frigid -30 degree temperatures in the winter though;) ahaha

Some people, me included, have a 407 transponder that beeps when you leave the highway signaling that you've left and it registered your time on the highway from the beginning.


same here i have a 407 transponder

The tollways of Texas all have electronic tolling. We've got the best of both worlds, you can drive through with your TxTag or if you are using a rental or a car that doesn't have one you can still pay with cash

You sound just like a typical American!!!

hahaha...

407ETR is an all electronic toll highway, nobody is there to accept tolls from drivers. If you don't have a transponder, it will take a picture of your entry & exit point, and image will be send to 407ETR central office, where computerized OCR technology will read your plate, and calculate the distance travelled.

The "overhead toll sensor" is placed on every highway on/off ramp, for the width of the highway, slowing down is not necessary since it doesn't have a "dedicated lane" that if you travel too fast, you'll hit the side. To proof this, I once travelled 170km/h (and who cares about miles) with my 407ETR transponder, thru the junction of QEW/407, where the width of the overhead sensor is mount across all lanes of the highway, and it still beeps perfectly.

Can your "best" TxTag do this? Oh I'm sorry, your world is inside Texas only, so everything Texas size is the best thing in the world.

Only one tunnel in The Netherlands is tolled. The rest of the highways are free for everybody to use as much as they want. (We do pay a fixed amount of roadtaxes every month. The height of it is depending on the weight of your car and which fuel you use.)

In the future we have to pay per kilometer, but then the roadtax will be abolished.

I'm not sure if it's a new thing on the 407, but my car was registered for Alberta when I lived there 3 years ago. I drove on the 407 numerous of times with the Alberta Plate and never got a bill in the mail. I heard that it was free if your licence plate is not Ontario....But like I said, I'm not sure if they changed the rules.

Oh and by the way, the 407 is usually less busy compared to the 401, so it's a good alternative, but that was 3-5 years ago when I lived there. It's probably just as busy as the 401 now.

Jimmy

Anyone in Canada or the US who uses the 407 will get billed, I believe it's always been like this too. I guess you got lucky.

The benefit of Melbourne's electronic tolling system (and Sydney's and Brisbane's) is that the transponder is compatible with the systems used in other Australian cities so if you take your car up to Sydney for example, you can still pay tolls from the same account.

Melbourne's CityLink and the 407 are using practically an identical system.

You sound just like a typical American!!!

hahaha...

407ETR is an all electronic toll highway, nobody is there to accept tolls from drivers. If you don't have a transponder, it will take a picture of your entry & exit point, and image will be send to 407ETR central office, where computerized OCR technology will read your plate, and calculate the distance travelled.

The "overhead toll sensor" is placed on every highway on/off ramp, for the width of the highway, slowing down is not necessary since it doesn't have a "dedicated lane" that if you travel too fast, you'll hit the side. To proof this, I once travelled 170km/h (and who cares about miles) with my 407ETR transponder, thru the junction of QEW/407, where the width of the overhead sensor is mount across all lanes of the highway, and it still beeps perfectly.

Can your "best" TxTag do this? Oh I'm sorry, your world is inside Texas only, so everything Texas size is the best thing in the world.

The Westpark Tollway in Houston is exactly like you describe. TxTag works on those as well as the Houston-area EZTag.

Can someone make a map of tolled/untolled maps of europe, woul be interesting to see hwo few countries don´t have tolled motorways. Germany and Bulgaria have untolled motorways.

untolled: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany (except LKW), Denmark, Sweden, Norway (if that are motorways :rolleyes:), Finland.
Vignettes: Austria, Slovakia, Czech R., Hungary, Switzerland, Romania.
Spain and France have some amount of untolled motorways. Poland, too, i think

UK have only one tolled, i think M5.

of course, there are a plenty of tolled objects (tunnels, bridges, passes) in "untolled" countries

^^ Trucks in Germany have to pay tolls. And in Bulgaria you need a road vignette, so that's a kind of tolls too.

Almost every country has some tolled roads/bridges/tunnels, but a lot of countries have tolled motorways for most of it's length.

Let's make a list:
Albania: No tolled roads as far as i know. There aren't many paved roads at all.
Andorra: No tolls in this mountainous country.
Armenia: No tolls as far as i know. It's a discussion whether this country is in Europe anyway.
Austria: A toll vignette for the motorways, but some tunnels, passes and mountain roads requires extra tolls.
Azerbaijan: No tolls as far as i know.
Belarus: I heard the M1 is tolled.
Belgium: Tolls are still in debate. No tolls so far, except for the R2 tunnel in Antwerp.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: No tolls as far as i know
Bulgaria: A toll vignette is required for the entire road network.
Croatia: tolled motorways
Cyprus: No tolls as far as i know
Czech Republic: Toll vignette for most Dalnice's and some Expressways (R-roads).
Denmark: No general tolls, but there are some expensive bridges across the archipelago.
Estonia: No tolls as far as i know
Finland: No tolls
France:[/b Most motorways are tolled, except near border regions and near larger cities.
[b]Georgia: No tolls on this poorly developed road network as far as i am concerned.
Germany: No general tolls for automobile's, but there is a toll system for trucks
Greece: Motorways are generally tolled
Hungary: Needs a vignette, but some roads are tolled.
Iceland: No tolls
Ireland: Some motorways parts are tolled
Italy: Most motorways are tolled, except in the far south.
Kazakhstan: No tolls, a better road network is in development.
Latvia: No tolls as far as i know
Liechtenstein: No tolls
Lithuania: No Tolls
Luxembourg No tolls
Malta: No tolls
Moldova: No tolls, not very much of a road network either
Monaco: No tolls in this city-state
Netherlands: No tolls, except some tunnels in the Southwest.
Norway: Tolls around larger cities. Also tollbridges and tunnels.
Poland: Some motorways are tolled
Portugal: Most motorways are tolled
Republic of Macedonia: unknown
Romania: General toll vignette for entire road network like Bulgaria
Russia: Some motorways tolled
San Marino: No tolls
Serbia: Tolled on Motorways
Slovakia: Toll vignette required for the expressways and motorways
Slovenia: Tolls required on motorways
Spain: Tolls required on Autopista's. The larger network of Autovia's are toll-free.
Sweden: No general tolls
Switzerland: Tolls required via a vignette
Turkey: Tolls required on Otoyols (Motorways)
Ukraine: No tolls
United Kingdom: Tolls required on some bridges and the M6Toll bypass of Birmingham
Vatican City: No Tolls required.

Please post comments/addings on this list. I'm not sure about every country.

As far as i remember Macedonia has tolled motorways, yeah, Bulgaria has general toll for roads but as far as i know you once pay the vignetee and can use the network as long as ou want and tax is low.

I think that your coment about France: "except near border regions and near larger cities" is appliable to all/nearlly all the other countries with tolled motorways.

There's also a somewhat extensive motorway network (not autoroutes, but up to motorway standards) in France, including many in Bretagne and some in oher parts of France(the best routes express... this can be checked on viamichelin).

Speaking about Portugal, there is a not so small portion of the motorway network that's toll free, although the majority is tolled.

Macedonia has frequent toll booths, like most of the Slovenian motorways. And Armenia is in Asia. :P Actually Cyprus and Malta aren't European either. :D But leave them, as I can already imagine a hot discussion..

What many people don't know, is that Kazakhstan is partially in Europe. The river Ural is the border south of the Ural mountains, so it leaves a part of the size of the Benelux of Kazakhstan in Europe.

For the three Caucasian countries; my opinion is that the Caucasus mountain range is the border, but i can imagine historically these countries belong to Europe.
The list is taken from wikipedia, so i guess it's okay.

i have adding for:
Hungary: all motorways are now under vignette system and there are no more extra tolled sections or objects. M5 used to be extra tolled untill 3-4 years ago, but it is under vignette system now, too.
Croatia: all motorways (except Zagreb bypass) are tolled and there are some tolled objects (bridge Krk, viaduct Mirna, tunnel Učka).
France: there are untolled motorways (except bypasses), for instance A28 or A20)

Spain: Tolls required on Autopista's. The larger network of Autovia's are toll-free.
I just want to add that around 23% of the motorways are tolled and every year the percentage decreases fortunately.

Really interesting thread BTW.

^^ I drove the A2 from Lleida to Barcelona and the AP-2 from Lleida to Barcelona. The first one was very busy with narrow shoulders, and a lot of exits. The AP-2 was nearly empty and sometimes 3 lanes per direction on climbs. But the last one requires toll.

You are right. A2 was built upgrading the old N-II, so its quality is far lower than AP-2. In general, the quality of first generation autovías (A1...6) is not good for current standars so there's a plan in process to renovate them.

Anyway, in general Spaniards are averse to pay tolls unless it's strictly necessary. The proof are the new radial tolled Autopistas near Madrid which are most of the time empty.

I guess the A2 to Guadalajara is much busier than the R2?

Are there still large tollroad construction projects? I thought the AP-7 and AP-36 are just finished. Another large project - the A23, is tollfree.

^^ I drove the A2 from Lleida to Barcelona and the AP-2 from Lleida to Barcelona. The first one was very busy with narrow shoulders, and a lot of exits. The AP-2 was nearly empty and sometimes 3 lanes per direction on climbs. But the last one requires toll.


Regarding the shoulder, both autopistas and autovias have the same exterior shoulder width(2.5m), which is narrow, compared to what's generally used in other countries.

I guess the A2 to Guadalajara is much busier than the R2?

Certainly! The A-2 is going to be enlarged to 2x3 (plus sideroads in many parts) all teh way till Guadalajara. But still, radial toll motorways (R-2 to R-5) are starting to become profitable, and I'm sure they will be even more and more with the coming years. An R-1 is already planned.


Are there still large tollroad construction projects? I thought the AP-7 and AP-36 are just finished. Another large project - the A23, is tollfree.


As for tolled motorway, from the top of my head I can tell you about the AP-1 between Victoria and the A-8 which is under construction and the AP-45 (I think that's the right number) between Antequera (Puerto de las Pedrizas, to be more precise) and Malaga, which is about to start construction, and will relieve the A-45.


Also, there will beh the AP-41 between Toledo and Cordoba, but that's still undecided... It's not even sure if it's going to be built, and if it will have tolls or not...

In Norway some motorways are tolled.

The E6 has a toll plaza about 60 kms south of Oslo and the E18 has one about 100 kms south of Oslo.

Most new Motorways they build will be tolled.

^^ I drove the A2 from Lleida to Barcelona and the AP-2 from Lleida to Barcelona. The first one was very busy with narrow shoulders, and a lot of exits. The AP-2 was nearly empty and sometimes 3 lanes per direction on climbs. But the last one requires toll.


Chris, do you happen to have some photos of the A-2?
I've never been on that part of the A-2, and I would like to see some photo's if you have any.
:cheers:

Ofcourse ;)

You can check the pics here (http://tammuz.interinter.net/galleries/13)

Oh shit, i see you mean A2. I only have pics of the AP-2.

^^Yeah, I've already seen those photo's of the AP-2, and I've already drive on that one.

Thanks anyway. :)


If I had to go from Lleida to Zaragoza I would probably use the AP2, because it's certainly much faster, but I find the A2 to be interesting, particularly because the terraine is more dificult that on the AP2, and it crosses a very populated area, hence all those exits. That's why I wanted to see pictures of it.

A2 is filled with trucks. If you want a comfortable easy drive, i´d definatly choose the AP-2.

Los Angeles has now proposed putting toll lanes on freeways in addition to HOV lanes, effectively making HOT lanes. This idea has split the city in two: many want them to pay for the expansion of our Metro Rail system, the others don't want lanes that they say only the rich can use. I just wanted to know what people from other countries think of congestion pricing and how it works there.

Here's a link to the main article about this idea in the Los Angeles Times.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hotlane7jul07,1,2427201.story?coll=la-headlines-california

I don't think it would work. It might work initially, when people get scared of the higher costs of mobility, but after a few years, they just change some power purchasing to mobility. So people are gonna cut back on other things, like vacations, food, holidays, etc. People might reconsider recreational and social driving, especially in the weekend, when a lot of people travel to see friends, family and other relatives.

You can look at the current gas prices. They went sky-high the last couple of years. But people don't drive a mile less for it. Traffic jams keeps getting longer. In the last 4 - 5 years, gas prices rose with 50%, but mobility keeps growing.

Do you really think people aren't going to work anymore, because of congestion pricing? No, people still travel. During rushhours, the amount of traffic which has options to drive on other times is really marginal. Nobody goes driving in a continuesly growing traffic jam, unless they really have to.

And when we keep building large housing projects, and do nothing about the infrastructure, you will keep traffic jams. On the other hand, why do offices have to be concentrated on one spot? With modern communications, they could settle anywhere.

When you have a busy freeway, and they build a giant officepark next to it, what do you expect? Of course traffic jams will grow. Congestion pricing won't change that.

The idea behind CP is that people who don't have to be on the road during rushhours, will choose another time of travel. But that amount of traffic is overcalculated, it's really a small amount, i won't make much of a difference on the road, but the money keeps coming in by the government.

This is the map for Spain. It includes "autopistas" and tolled tunnels but it's not very precise.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6785/peajewn2.png


More info: www.aseta.es

^ I thought the idea was to enable faster driving to those who pay for it.

CP sounds like "You pay for the infrastructure we don't provide!"

Al least in LA, in London it's a different thing. ;)

^ I thought the idea was to enable faster driving to those who pay for it.

Yeah, but they don't provide better infrastructure. You just pay more money for driving in traffic jams.

We know all that in the Netherlands, our taxes are among the highest in the world, and so are our traffic jams.

France: Most motorways are tolled, except near border regions and near larger cities.
Are you sure ?

In orange, tolled motorways (always "Autoroutes"), that represents 7186 km (67 % of the network).
In green, untolled motorways ("Autoroutes" or "Voie Express"), that represents 3565 km réseau (33 % of the network):
http://saratlas.free.fr/voir/cartes/stat/carte-peage.gif
PS: the map is not up to date :(


If we don't take into account the "autoroutes" near the cities, free autoroutes (fully or not) are:
A16, A20, A23, A25 A28, A84, A31, A34, A35, A63, A64, A68 and A75.

Ok, so it obviously does nothing to solve traffic, but how does much money does it get and is it worth it? Is this really a good way for Metro to get more money?

NoNoNoNoNo.
Keep the traffic jams but just add more public transportation

Public Transportation is by far no solution for traffic jams or as an alternative.

^^Public transportation is not an alternative to traffic?

^^Public transportation is not an alternative to traffic?

No, i don't think so. Let me make an example.

If i go with my car to work (10km) it takes about 10 - 15 minutes in normal morning traffic.
If i go with the bus to work, it takes always at least 53 minutes. That is 5 times the driving time with a car. I have to get a hell lot of traffic jams for that. And even then i'm late. If i wanna be on time, i have to leave 1:20 before my work starts. That is 1:05 longer then with a car.

I don't call that an alternative.

Public transportation is only fast when you have to go from city center to city center, or in case of highspeed rail, an alternative to flying.

What if you use a subway instead of a car?

In the case of someone who's in Hollywood, it would be faster for them to use the train to go to Universal City than to take the 101 and go over the Cahuenga Pass.

I'll agree, buses aren't faster than anything, but a grade separated train, now that's a whole different animal. It's needed in a city with a lot of traffic, and congestion pricing to me seems like a way to get people out of their cars, into public transportation, and have another way to pay for that mass transit system.

There is no other PT in my city of 115.000, yeah there are trains, but there is only 1 trainstation.
If there was a subway, i would use it if it is close to my work.

Oh, ok, you just meant in your city exclusively. That's a good fact that you bring up. For some cities, roads are perfect. For others, it just can't work. Los Angeles has been one of those cities for a while now, but it still doesn't have the necessary infrastructure in place.

L.A. needs a better subway. It has a very small system considering the agglomeration size. However, i think going with the subway all the way from Riverside or Moreno Valley is too long either.

We need it more in metro LA and commuter rail out anywhere further.

I don't know why the freeways are still being expanded. Could you agree that it is only going to hurt LA?

Well, Los Angeles is build in a way that you can't be mobile without a car. So they have to face the consequences and widen the freeways. You don't wanna have total gridlocks either.

Or we can start building everything next to our existing rail lines. I don't think that we can ever outgrow our car dependence to an extent, but we can become rail riders when we commute.

This plan isn't really congestion pricing in it's true sense, they're just adding a toll to their HOV lanes, I believe that Houston has some as well. Personally, since people are so loath to see their taxes raised here in the US, it's not a bad idea at all, a good one actually.

But I don't think Congestion pricing overall would work here in the US. Sure, it may work in a few where there are plenty of PT options and infrastructure, but not in most cities here. But anyway, I'm going to vote yes, to fund mass transit.

But anyway, I'm going to vote yes, to fund mass transit. Why do automobile owners have to pay for mass transit they don't use?

Anyway, i do like the concept of separated toll lanes. So you can choose between traffic jam or pay a little more and no traffic jams.

Well, I do drive a car and like it very much, but I am aware that there are plenty of people who don't own any, and there needs to be a way of transportation for them. There's nothing wrong with a little balance...you can like Metros and like Highways.

Anyway, this is a debate for another topic.

No, i don't think so. Let me make an example.

If i go with my car to work (10km) it takes about 10 - 15 minutes in normal morning traffic.
If i go with the bus to work, it takes always at least 53 minutes. That is 5 times the driving time with a car. I have to get a hell lot of traffic jams for that. And even then i'm late. If i wanna be on time, i have to leave 1:20 before my work starts. That is 1:05 longer then with a car.

I don't call that an alternative.

Public transportation is only fast when you have to go from city center to city center, or in case of highspeed rail, an alternative to flying.
Even in Tallinn, where public transport is so poorly developed, by train you can get from a suburb to the centre faster than by a car....That is an alternative.

Think of it like mitigation for driving a car. You're causing traffic, pollution the environment, etc. You should have to pay more than people who go by foot and are decreasing traffic in the area.

I'd much rather have a higher gas tax, but taxes are just so evil to everyone here.

gas taxes in the US are very low, and they complain about the prices! In The Netherlands, gas is the most expensive in the world :(

We complain because there is no alternative like much of Europe has. There is a huge stigma about buses here, so that is a big problem. Also, people like to live away from city centers, meaning they pay a lot because they drive a lot. Don't forget about all the gas wasted in all the traffic here.

This country needs a comprehensive rail plain, much like when Eisenhower initiated the Interstate system. This country need intercity and intracity rail.

I'm sure if you put rail lines along major routes toward a CBD in the USA the congestion will be cut by a lot.

Congestion pricing [in the city] is just a bad idea imo, that's almost encouraging people NOT to go in the CBD if there are no public transit options

I'm sure if you put rail lines along major routes toward a CBD in the USA the congestion will be cut by a lot.

That idea is often overrated.

Let me give an example. In the Netherlands, we have an extensive rail/lightrail/subway network, especially in the Randstad region.

So they build the CBD's near trainstations, excellent PT locations. But does it increase PT ridership? A little, but traffic jams kept growing, because trainstations are generally not very accessible to roadtraffic. Making the CBD accessible to PT is one thing, but you have to think about the housing too... they are much more spread, making PT just inefficient.

Like in LA's case, you'll have like 4 or 5 east-west freeways which all have like 250.000 - 300.000 AADT. There is no way you can transport even like 10% of that with trains, because they can't go too short after eachother (safety).

Here, in NL, they think if they put superfast buses between Den Haag and Rotterdam, the traffic jams dissapear.
The A13 motorway has 160.000 vehicles a day, and you need like 100.000 to let the traffic jams dissapear. That means you have to transport 72.000 people with buses in rushhours. You'll need like 1200 buses for that in a few hours. That's just impossible.

About capacity issues, if very dense cities can survive on almost soley PT like Toyko, then PT does work even with lots of capacity. Build more lines, do whatever, but it works.

A solution to suburbian PT would be park-and-rides, where commuters just drive a little bit to their local PT station, park their cars and go to work

The problem is, that PT is only very effective in very dense cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai etc. But the majority of the large cities in the US aren´t way that dense, and so are most European cities (however they are denser than other cities).

But i think most roads in Europe aren't that busy considering the city's size. Like Paris, 10 million in agglomeration, but the busiest road is only 300.000 vehicles a day. Generally that means only 100.000 - 150.000 of that 10million use that motorway daily.

Yeah, but they don't provide better infrastructure. You just pay more money for driving in traffic jams.


May be this change people's attitude from 'roads are free but subway( LRT, whatever) is not; so build more roads and not subways' to something else.

I decided to open a new thread about toll roads and toll gates.

Post your pics of toll gates!
Post news of new and old toll roads!
Which payement systems do you have in your country?


Let's start with some pictures from France.


A40 near The Mont Blanc:
http://www.scmf.com.fr/images/_hd/peage_de_cluses_02.jpg

http://www.scmf.com.fr/images/_hd/peage_de_cluses_05.jpg


A10 in France:
http://cmsdemo.interversa.com/assets/gare-de-peage.jpg

POLAND:

http://autostradaa1.pl/upload/pictures/0000502p.jpg

http://autostradaa1.pl/upload/pictures/0000511p.jpg

http://www.autostrada-a2.pl/upload/pictures/0000610.jpg

http://www.autostrada-a2.pl/upload/pictures/0000618.jpg

http://wil.linux.krakow.pl/~disarm/dts/S3400116.JPG

Interesting, in Poland, the credit cards seems to be on the right side, while i saw that in other countries usually on the left side.

^^ Nooo, thy are obviousely on the left side , this part of this system isn't so stupid;)(only this one)

The first pic was taken before the road was opened, and because of this this car is driving on the wrong side ;)

Interesting, in Poland, the credit cards seems to be on the right side, while i saw that in other countries usually on the left side.

Italy for instance has no rules about that.

Croatia

B8 - barrier Tunnel Učka, west entrance
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4011/p6250280ax9.jpg

A6 - barrier Grobnik (entrance)
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4480/p6250317rq1.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/ri-zg/DSC00906.jpg

A4 - barrier Sveta Helena (entrance)
http://i21.tinypic.com/jttpnc.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/A4-D28-2%20dio/IMGP1451.jpg
A4 - exit Čakovec
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/DSC00649.jpg

A1 - barrier Lučko (entrance)
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o197/deko1243/DSC_4872.jpg
http://i21.tinypic.com/2ldhy1i.jpg
http://i13.tinypic.com/6gyhkly.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o197/deko1243/DSC_6827.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/4523vdg.jpg

A1 - exit Dugopolje (Split)
http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/3141/chorvatsko10big3qj.jpg

A1 - exit Šibenik
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/A1/A1_put_u_sibenik/DSC00501.jpg

A1 - exit Zadar 2
http://i14.tinypic.com/4m3795f.jpg

A1 - exit Šestanovac (temporarly it is barrier because currently A1 ends here)
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m197/ppero2/P7018522.jpg

A1 - exit Otočac
http://i16.tinypic.com/2ymi1y8.jpg

A2 - exit Krapina
http://i20.tinypic.com/xbhlbr.jpg

A2 - barrier Trakošćan (exit)
http://i7.tinypic.com/4uix7xw.jpg

A7 - barrier Rupa
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g305/deko4321/DSC05045.jpg

A3 - barrier Ivanja Reka (exit)
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/forum%20a1%20d8%20stefano/IMG_3586.jpg

B9 - barrier Mirna (very rare photographed)
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4503/foto04ry1.jpg

D102 - barrier Krčki most (bridge toll)
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a203/ixic/forum%20a1%20d8%20stefano/IMG_3732.jpg

Italy for instance has no rules about that.

But they usually place it on the left side, don't they?
I have never ecountered one on the right side(in nothern and cental Italy)

In Dubai it is chip based. You buy and stuck the chip in the top middle of your windshield, recharge your account and any time you drive beneath the gate, the fee is reduced automatically from your deposited amount. There are actually 2 gates (on each direction) but if you avoid them, you can drive in between for free.

The cost for one passage is AED 4/- ($1.09)

There are cameras also so if you drive without chip the number plate is recognised and filmed, so you can't excape the fine. If no credit in account, you'll be finned too unless you'll recharge your account within 2 days.

But they usually place it on the left side, don't they?
I have never ecountered one on the right side(in nothern and cental Italy)

I don't know about you, but I've encountered all sorts of positions of card and Telepass booths, in north too. Don't have pictures, though.


Ontopic - Few toll stations in Slovenia:
A1, Videž toll station:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/Verso1/a1primorska057fy7.jpg

A1, Kompolje toll station:
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z202/keber1/trojane/trojane04.jpg

A2, Drnovo toll station:
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z202/keber1/A2-16.jpg

A2, Dob toll station:
Going fast lane with electronic system ABC
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z202/keber1/A2-68.jpg

H4, Nanos toll station:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/Verso1/a1primorska164lw3.jpg

In the Netherlands there are no toll roads and only 2 tunnels are tolled. The Westerscheldetunnel and the Kiltunnel

Toll gate at the Westerscheldetunnel:

http://www.westerscheldetunnel.nl/repository/19%20Tolplein%2024-02-06_full.jpg

http://www.westerscheldetunnel.nl/repository/01%20Tolplein%2024-02-06_full.jpg

http://www.westerscheldetunnel.nl/repository/04%20Tolplein%2024-02-06_full.jpg
source: www.westerscheldetunnel.nl

Toll gate Kiltunnel:

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2856/topleinkiltunneldv2.jpg

In Ontario there is only one toll road (and I think it is the only one in all of Canada, but correct me if I'm wrong), and it is Highway 407 north of Toronto. It does not have any toll gates, but rather takes a picture of the car's license plate and later mails the bill to the driver, or, the driver can subscribe to a transponder device, which operates remotely and there is no need for the license plate picture. The entrance to the road is therefore done at the same speed as on non-tolled highways, although the rates tend to be somewhat expensive.

So this would be the equivalent of the toll booth:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/407ETR.jpg

There are no toll roads in Connecticut here in the states, therefore no toll gates. The state did once have toll roads in the past, but got rid of them because of problems. Every few years, there are plans to bring them back, but they always go nowhere. Consequently, our fuel taxes are higher than our neighbors, and one of the highest in the nation.

CT is the only state in the Northeast Corridor (DC to Boston) without any tolls.

However, on northbound I-95 in New York near the border, there is a $1 toll. It's a little bit more interesting looking than most toll gates that are, IMO, nothing to talk about really. It even has a large I-95 sign painted on!

http://www.northeastroads.com/new_york050/i-095_nb_exit_017_02.jpg

Another toll gate near the CT border on I-84 in Massachusetts. This connects with I-90, the Mass Turnpike, which goes to either Albany and Springfield, or Boston. Unlike the NY tollgate, when coming into the turnpike, you don't pay, you get a ticket and pay when you get off the turnpike. I love that we have to pay a toll in these states near the border, while their residents get to drive free on ours. :bash:

http://www.northeastroads.com/massachusetts050/i-084_eb_exit_004_02.jpg
Both pics from AAroads.

I love that we have to pay a toll in these states near the border, while their residents get to drive free on ours.

I heard tolls in western Massachusetts were cancelled on the I-90 because local drivers didn't want to pay for the Big Dig they don't use.

CHriss, where exactly is Kiltunnel located?

Near Dordrecht, it's a regional road, not very important

CHriss, where exactly is Kiltunnel located?

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1073/kiltunnelut1.jpg

It's the main port to 'de Hoeksche Waard'. There are no ferries here. Toll isn't very high, I thought something like €2.

i have allready found it, tnx ;)
well, 2€ for 900 m long tunnel isn't low. citizens of 's Gravendeel are definitly unhappy because of that toll

That's the whole problem with our geography, all river crossings are the only way out of there, while they are all bottlenecks.

I heard tolls in western Massachusetts were cancelled on the I-90 because local drivers didn't want to pay for the Big Dig they don't use.

I think that there are still some gates on some of the exits. That one is still there. :dunno:

But the main toll gates are in the Boston area, yes. And they still drive on our roads for free! :no:

A1 or A10 in France:
http://cmsdemo.interversa.com/assets/gare-de-peage.jpg
OMG! Excellent automatic tolling systems have existed for at least 15 years now. I don't understand why there is still so many manual toll stations around. Why the hell does the French, who otherwise is hooked on technolgy, put up with queues like the one above? Maybe there are no French company in the bussiness....

Well, because a lot of traffic on the French Autoroutes is foreign. You can't expect them to have all kinds of electronic tolling systems on board.

^^

They could come up with a European toll pass. Texas has a statewide toll pass system which can be used in Austin, Dallas or Houston even though they all pretty much use different systems. EZ-Tag in Houston and Toll-Tag in Dallas.

Well, because a lot of traffic on the French Autoroutes is foreign. You can't expect them to have all kinds of electronic tolling systems on board.

I doubt that a majority of those cars are foreign. Besides, you don't need a chip to pass a fully automatic toll station. Many toll stations in Norway are now equipped with this sign:
https://www.fjellinjen.no/images/2925ikke_stopp.png/no?size=medium
Regardless if you have a chip or not, you are supposed to drive through the toll station without stopping. If you don't have a chip, your license plate is automatically analyzed, and you have the choise of paying the fee next time you fill gas or alternatively you can pay an invoice that will be sent to your home address. Also foreign cars are billed this way.

France is an important transit country, and trucks usually prefer the Autoroute. Besides that, France is a major touristic destination, attracting millions of foreigners per year who travel by car.

The Paying Tolls At The Gas Station is an interesting concept by the way.

E-toll in Melbourne

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/102/281201648_8e25163450_o.jpg

In Australia toll roads have been built exclusively as e-toll for the last 10 years. Many toll plazas are due to be replaced with e-toll gantries in the coming years.

They could come up with a European toll pass. Texas has a statewide toll pass system which can be used in Austin, Dallas or Houston even though they all pretty much use different systems. EZ-Tag in Houston and Toll-Tag in Dallas.

Is this Texas thing compatible in all US states? Probably not.
And Europe has the same problem to introduce EU-wide compatible electronic toll system. EU Commission demands interoperability (satellite based system), but it is far from being available. When that becomes available, toll stations will become obsolete. But I'm afraid, that this will not happen in next 10 years.

E-ZPass is compatible in many states. Florida and California have different systems.

M6 Toll Road U.K.

http://www.rics.org/NR/rdonlyres/8867A6F9-0DB8-4AE5-B244-49A1E70C2514/0/m6toll_booths.jpg

Nieuwerbrug, Holland.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~egavic/ASN/12-01-08/Nieuwerbrug/S_PICT17125.JPG

http://www.xs4all.nl/~egavic/ASN/12-01-08/Nieuwerbrug/S_PICT17122.JPG

:cheers:

^^ I'm wondering how they collect the 50 cent toll there, especially at night. It must be manned 24/7 or else it would be easy, and very tempting, to pass without paying.

Ireland's M1 toll

http://www.eazypass.ie/images/site/northfromair.jpg


The problem with electronic tolling is like mobile phone roaming. You can have the same technical standards for the tags, but there also have to be accounting arrangements. In the EU a tag from anther country can be read, but there needs to be the backup financial arrangements for "roaming".

I live in Minnesota and we only have one toll road at the moment and it is actually only tolled a portion of the time. There are reversible lanes that are used as toll lanes/ HOV lanes during rush hour. This is called MnPass. If you are alone in the car and want to use the HOV lane, you can, but you must already have a transponder as there are no attendants on duty. You are billed monthly as the rate of the toll adjusts to the traffic levels. Here are a few pics:

http://www.newsline.dot.state.mn.us/images/05/may/25-mnpass2300.jpg

Reversible section:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/eihd/images/i394tc.jpg

I grew up in northern Indiana and we had a similar system to what others were speaking of where you pull a ticket when you enter the toll road and then pay when you exit or when you hit the Chicago/Illinois border. You can also use a transponder if you subscribe. A few pics:

http://www.will.uiuc.edu/news/images/tollrd.jpg
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/06/13/PH2006061301896.jpg
http://christopherhedges.com/life/uploaded_images/i-zoom-signage-2-757098.png

At the end, this is what you hit going into Chicago:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/04/0427_hotproperties/image/chicagoskyway.jpg
http://christopherhedges.com/life/uploaded_images/chicago-skyway-bridge-1-758959.png
http://bojack.org/images/skyway4.gif

Forth Bridge New Toll Booths (2006)
http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/jpgs/forth_bridge_canopy_paulzanre60.jpg

Tay Bridge Toll Booths
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/01/30/images/TOLL.jpeg

Both are now defunct as of today because both tolls have been scrapped leaving Scotland with a toll free road network.

Is this Texas thing compatible in all US states? Probably not.
And Europe has the same problem to introduce EU-wide compatible electronic toll system. EU Commission demands interoperability (satellite based system), but it is far from being available. When that becomes available, toll stations will become obsolete. But I'm afraid, that this will not happen in next 10 years.

You're right, the Texas system is only in-state. However, the nearest toll road out of state is the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in Oklahoma, which is over 150 mi (240 km) away. Outside of Oklahoma, the only toll road within 700 mi (1050 km) is the Kansas Turnpike.

The more closely-linked systems in the Northeast and increasingly Midwest are all under the EZPass format, as mentioned before.

In western Canada (BC), the freeway from the west coast through the mountains to the interior, Hwy 5 (the Coquihalla), has had a USD10.00 toll for the past ~22 years.

http://lh3.google.com/TheChattyHousewife/RpvKUs-l7DI/AAAAAAAADkU/DObFY3OrxFc/100_2091.JPG?imgmax=512

http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/pl8s/BC5/5N_134.jpg

http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/pl8s/BC5/5N_200.jpg

In Ontario there is only one toll road (and I think it is the only one in all of Canada, but correct me if I'm wrong), and it is Highway 407 north of Toronto.

There's also the Coquilhalla Highway in BC ^^, and the 104 through the Cobequid Pass in Nova Scotia. The Cobequid has both manual and electronic options to pay the $4 car toll (higher for trucks and RVs). Keep in mind the 104 is only a 4-lane highway in a sparsely populated region of the province, so the toll plaza is relatively small.

http://www.highway104.ns.ca/images/30.jpg

http://www.highway104.ns.ca/images/tollplaza1.jpg

Plus the handful of toll bridges through the Maritimes (Saint John, Halifax-Dartmouth and the Confederation Bridge in NB-PEI).

people, why are you posting such huge pics, they are totaly unusefull

A1 or A10 in France:
http://cmsdemo.interversa.com/assets/gare-de-peage.jpg
This one is A10: Saint-Arnoux toll is 50 km far from Paris.
One the right of the picture, the HSR Paris-Le Mans/Tours.

^^
Merci!

Philippines

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/209799796_98a5303e56_o.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/mrbhgh.jpg

Philippines

NLEX
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/209799796_98a5303e56_o.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/mrbhgh.jpg

Freeway #66 toll in Carolina,Puerto Rico

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4548/1004263ii4.jpg

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/4814/1006027ac2.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4025/1006028gw6.jpg

bay bridge toll plaza (actually 2: the smaller 2nd one on the left serves an on-ramp):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/2273478484_aa7153de5d_b.jpg
from google maps

supposed to be 20-something lanes across

fastrak allow vehicles with transponders to zip thru w/o stopping

^^ true in some regard, the thing is, during peak hours, the access to the bridge is controlled by a set of lights after the toll plaza.

I'l ltry and snap a picture of it next time I go through.

Here's some from Texas I got from AA Roads.
Texas has been building a lot of new toll roads in recent years- I've never driven them but, I must say, they always look really nice. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/2274955170_91b4de7a34_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2403/2274955256_56256d53f5_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2274955368_ca8a2d8902_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2274162689_13a675be29_o.jpg

^^ How can you pay on that last pic if you don't have a tolltag? Is that the Sam Houston Tollway (Route 8, beltway of Houston)

^^ How can you pay on that last pic if you don't have a tolltag? Is that the Sam Houston Tollway (Route 8, beltway of Houston)

The one right above it shows the plaza- there is a regular booth to the right. That's in Dallas, I'm sure, the transponder would be called an E-Z Tag on Beltway 8, not a TollTag like they do in Dallas.

The second picture is on the Sam Houston Tollway, however, and the first one is Highway 130 in Austin, I believe.

Since I'm in Manila right now, the city's highways have electronic toll collections such as the E-Pass for the SLEX

http://www.capstone.com.ph/images/epass_logo.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/mongit/For%20My%20Blog/October%202007/epass/IMG_4202.jpg

How about in your city/country's highways?

e-TAG
Was first used for the Citylink tollway in Melbourne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityLink
But also works for the few other toll roads around Australia.

Will be used on the new Eastlink project which is almost complete in Melbournes outer east.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EastLink%2C_Melbourne

Here are some other threads in this section on toll roads and e-tolls :

Toll Highways
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=427077

Toll Roads & Toll Gates
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=579306

Map of untolled/ tolled motorways in europe
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=493787

best e-tolls
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=446534

Hwy. 407 slashes tolls for big rigs
But even large discounts unlikely to lure some truckers
The Canadian Press
5 July 2006
The Hamilton Spectator

TORONTO

Trucking firms whose big rigs frequently ply Canada's first pay-as-you-go highway will now see their Highway 407 tolls slashed by as much as half if they use it during off-peak hours, the road's owner and operator said yesterday.

The discount program is designed to help ease the increasing rush-hour congestion on the 108-kilometre highway, while drawing more traffic from the jam-packed Highway 401.

"During peak hours we are experiencing congestion," said Dale Albers, a spokesperson for 407 ETR, the company that owns the highway.

"(This) will help lighten the load during the peak and encourage truckers and other companies to use it during off-peak hours."

The incentive is part of a settlement reached in March that ended a series of bitter disputes between the company and the Ontario government over toll increases and other issues.

Car drivers will have to wait at least few more months for a similar break on tolls that was also agreed to in the settlement.

For truckers, however, the savings are immediate -- and potentially substantial. A typical 18-wheeler using the obligatory transponder pays 48.75 cents a kilometre during peak hours.

Until now, the discount for driving outside of rush hours -- between 6 and 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays -- amounted to just two cents.

That discount now increases to as much as 23 cents a kilometre for driving at night and on weekends and 12 cents for usage at other off-peak times.

The highway operator says 300 trucking companies already qualify for the maximum discount, but estimates tens of thousands of trucks could see some form of savings.

But even the hefty discount won't lure some truckers onto the highway.

"It's just cost-prohibitive for us -- that's a significant chunk of our revenue based on a per-kilometre basis," said Brent Byers, vice-president of APPS Transport Group that operates about 60 trucks out of Brampton.

"And in particular on the off-hours is when you really aren't inclined to use it, because the rest of the roads aren't congested, so why would you pay?"

There are some rules for companies to qualify for the maximum saving.

They have to pay their bills within 60 days, trucks must have the transponder and drive more than 600 kilometres per month on the highway.

Under the terms of the contract with the province, toll levels on the 407 are linked to traffic reductions on the jam-packed Highway 401.

The breaks on the tolls "will certainly help that," said Albers.

In 1999, the former Conservative government of then-premier Mike Harris sold a 99-year lease to the private consortium to run the 407 as Canada's first private toll road.

The tolls have skyrocketed since and the company and province were inundated with public complaints about incorrect billing and heavy-handed collection tactics.

The Liberal government sued over the toll increases but lost, leading to the settlement.

To alleviate congestion, 407 ETR is also spending $100 million to add lanes to a 100-kilometre stretch of the road above Toronto.

Province rules out suggested tolls on highways around Toronto
21 February 2008
The Canadian Press

TORONTO - Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley has dismissed a suggestion from a blue-ribbon panel that the province implement road tolls on 400 series highways in the Toronto area.

``Our government has said _ repeatedly _ it will not be placing tolls on existing 400-series highways,'' Bradley said Thursday.

``Road pricing'' is among the tough choices facing the region, according to the panel appointed by mayor David Miller to review the city's financial situation.

It says tolling the Gardiner Expressway, Don Valley Parkway and other highways around Toronto could raise $700 million to improve transit in the region.

``The idea is to take a ring road around the city and put it in a single entity that you can (turn into) a toll highway that is your entrance to the city,'' said panel member Larry Tanenbaum.

``It needs to be seriously considered by all levels of government,'' fellow panellist Paul Massara said.

Even so, the province must approve any changes relating to highways, Bradley said.

``They were built originally without tolls on them; they were built on that condition,'' he said of the 400 highways, 407 being the sole exception.

My state in the US, Connecticut, does not have toll highways. In fact, it is the only state in the East Coast not to have them. Tolls have a bad experience here since there was two accidents that killed people that had to deal with toll booths.

A consequence of that is that we have a higher fuel tax than most of our neighbors. Gas prices are usually 25-30 cents higher here than in Mass or RI. And they get to drive in our roads free while we have to pay for ours. How's that? :mad:

I suppose that I would support a toll system to lower the dependence on fuel taxes that CT has for funding, however the problem with the barriers is that they encourage more congestion. The state needs to look at electronic tolling alternatives. But at the current issue, this rests on the plans of our neighbors.

The closest toll roads to Connecticut are:

Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), which is mostly toll-free, but there are barriers. It's pretty close to the CT border.

http://www.northeastroads.com/massachusetts050/i-084_eb_exit_004_02.jpg

The toll bridges of NYC, which cost $4.50-6 (depends on the bridge and what direction you go)

This is the Whitestone Bridge (I-678), which costs $4.50
http://www.northeastroads.com/new_york400/i-678_sb_exit_017_01.jpg

New York Thruway. This is I-90 near Albany
http://www.northeastroads.com/new_york050/i-090_wb_exit_000_02.jpg

New Jersey Turnpike: I-95 before it meets I-80
http://www.northeastroads.com/new_jersey050/i-095e_nj_tpk_nb_exit_016e_03.jpg

All pics from aaroads.com

A consequence of that is that we have a higher fuel tax than most of our neighbors. Gas prices are usually 25-30 cents higher here than in Mass or RI. And they get to drive in our roads free while we have to pay for ours. How's that? :mad:

You think those are big differences? Differences in fuel prices are much bigger here. E.g. in Luxembourg the gas is currently almost €0,40/l cheaper as in Holland!

Hwy. 407 slashes tolls for big rigs
But even large discounts unlikely to lure some truckers
The Canadian Press
5 July 2006
The Hamilton Spectator
<snip>

That's a damn good idea. They should do that for trucks on our new Texas 45 and Texas 130 tollways here in the Austin area. That would really take more trucks off of Interstate 35.

^^ That's $ 2.4 per gallon :D

I love the fact that Sweden has pretty much no toll roads (other than the two bridges to Denmark and Norway). :D Sure they might get roads built faster, but then having to pay tons of money everyday to drive on a road is a lot worse than having a slightly slower road while the motorway gets slowly built. We've managed a pretty good motorway system here in sweden even without tolls, but of course it'd be better with tolls...but I prefer it this way. (But of course this does not always hold...just look at Norway: lots of tolls but like 200km total of motorways, heh.)

All roads are toll roads, however, you'll pay for them differently, like via all kinds of taxes. Tax em to death! seems to be the motto of our government.

Thank god there are no such things here in Bulgaria!

In Normandy, ( Le Havre ) You have to pay €6,50 to cross this bridge.. I've been there last year.. Nice bridge :) http://lumerphoto.romandie.com/get/10461/Pont%20de%20Normandie3289_1_1_1.JPG

^^From this point of view it seems very steep.

Thank god there are no such things here in Bulgaria!

How not, when you have to pay for driving on Bulgarian roads?

How not, when you have to pay for driving on Bulgarian roads?

i guess it's only for foreigners

^^From this point of view it seems very steep.

When the Tour de France went over the bridge a few years ago it was a 2nd category climb.

Do you have a side view of that bridge? I'd love to see one. :)

You think those are big differences? Differences in fuel prices are much bigger here. E.g. in Luxembourg the gas is currently almost €0,40/l cheaper as in Holland!

Then again, I live in the US. :D

I decided to open a new thread about toll roads and toll gates.

Post your pics of toll gates!
Post news of new and old toll roads!
Which payement systems do you have in your country?


Let's start with some pictures from France.


A40 near The Mont Blanc:
http://www.scmf.com.fr/images/_hd/peage_de_cluses_02.jpg

http://www.scmf.com.fr/images/_hd/peage_de_cluses_05.jpg


A10 in France:
http://cmsdemo.interversa.com/assets/gare-de-peage.jpg

One huge toll plaza! Feels more like a border crossing.

Does anyone have pictures of Florida toll highways and plazas?

Does anyone have pictures, maps, or any info about Jamaica's Highway 2000?

Atlanta's GA 400 and its one and only toll plaza:

Looks like a toll shack compared to some of the ones in this thread - it's prettier at night :)
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1084/715649741_fa65e1b69f.jpg?v=0http://farm1.static.flickr.com/229/483667212_5e53c812ee.jpg?v=0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atlantasmittie84/715649741/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tegllc/483667212/

Georgia Cruise Lanes (electronic cruise card attached to the windshield)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/487404239_5440a2ea56.jpg?v=0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beautifulmachine/487404239/

I think it's nice to make an overview of the tolling system used in various countries, especially on motorways/freeways, and how they work.

By tolling system, I mean something like vignettes, toll plaza's or electronic tolling, and not gas taxes/car taxes.

Let's start with The Netherlands

As of 2008, there is no general tolling system, only a few tunnels require toll, like the Kiltunnel near Dordrecht on the N217 and the Westerscheldetunnel on the N62. The motorways remain untolled as of 2008, however there are long-term plans to implement an electronic tolling, no earlier than 2011 for trucks, and later for cars. However, there are a lot of obstacles that need to be taken, and support is diminishing due to high implementing costs and reduced purchasing power for commuters.

^I didn't know we had toll parts in The Netherlands.

"Virtual" vignette here,for pre-set time intervals. By virtual, I mean that you dont actually receive a vignette,you just pay for it and then get the bill. Cameras and vehicles with cameras check it,or more precisely,your licence plate,if its registered in the database or not. Electronic payment for trucks is being prepared,it will be like the austrian system.

Additionally,trucks are to have this "vignette" on some non-motorway/expressway roads as well.

Vignette. :D That's for vehicles under 3.5 t, for others, toll booths are still in use.

in Croatia: classic old fashioned mediteranean styled toll-booths.most of the motorways have closed system (ticket at entrance, paying at exit), but there are some sections with open tolling system (just paying without ticket) - those are A3 Zagreb - Bregana, A7 Rijeka - Rupa, D102 bridge Krk (you pay only for one direction, opposite is free), B8 tunnel Učka and B9 viaduct Mirna

It's toll plazas in South Africa. Here's a map (http://www.nra.co.za/content/plazalocation.pdf) showing where they are, for anyone interested (PDF warning).

In Slovakia we use vignettes. There are available 1 week, 1 month and 1 year vignettes for all vehicles. For vehicles over 3.5 there are also 1 day vignettes. Prices depend on weight of the vehicle. For example 1 year vignette for car under 3.5 t costs € 36.51; 1 year vignette for a truck over 12 t costs € 929.43.

We are going to introduce electronic toll system for vehicles over 3.5 t next year. But, the project is delayed so it won't start on January 1st 2009 what was the original plan. Prices will be from € 0.06 to € 0.20 per kilometre. Together there will be tolled 1,900 km of roads.

Map of the tolled sections:

http://img.ndsas.sk/mapy/mapa_spoplatnenia.gif


Red or pink or what's that colour is tolled for all vehicles.
Green is tolled for vehicles over 3.5 t only.
Sections which go through built-up area are for free.

In Italy: closed system, take the ticket upon entering and pay on your way out. Manned booths if you haven't got the right change or cards. Automatic booths for pre-paid cards, ATM and credit cards. Some short stretches feature the french style, money basket since it's a fixed price. Most everywhere for frequent travelers, radio transponders -aka Telepass - and the cost will be debited on your bank account/credit card. You just have to slow down to 70/80 km/h and the gate will open for you in and out. Fast and efficient. Becoming popular among regular citizens, not just company cars and trucks.

The UK only has one toll motorway, the M6 Toll Relief Road in Birmingham. It was completed in 2003 purely as an alternative for drivers to the very busy M6 through Birmingham.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/M6_Toll_plaza,_Great_Wyrley.jpg

Other than the M6 toll, only certain bridges and tunnels are tolled.

Ontario has one privately owned highway, and that is Highway 407 which serves a relief road to the free 401. (it has quite the high toll though)

It's completely automated.. Basically your license plate is recorded upon entering, and then exiting, and you're billed in the mail.

You have the option of having a transponder (which is affixed to your windshield from the inside) and then would be automatically billed. Frequent users have one of these.

And here is a 'tool booth'
http://onthighways.com/hwy_407-409_images/407_cl_45_east_Jun08.jpg

It's completely automated.. Basically your license plate is recorded upon entering, and then exiting, and you're billed in the mail.



I like that system. It's the cheapest possible way to recieve tolls I think. All you have to do is installing some traffic camera's and sponsor the local mailman. It could be fully automatic.

I like that system. It's the cheapest possible way to recieve tolls I think. All you have to do is installing some traffic camera's and sponsor the local mailman. It could be fully automatic.

Haven't we had this discussion before?

Anyway, Israel's Road 6, which is our only toll road, has the same system.

Melbourne uses electronic tolling through either a transponder in your car or by your registration plates. It's fully automated and there are no toll booths anywhere. You still have to buy a pass if you don't have an account, otherwise an invoice comes in the mail with a much higher price to pay.

Different systems are run by the two different companies operating tolled roads but they're fully compatible - you don't have to do anything to travel on another toll road anywhere in Australia.

The difference is that Brisbane and Sydney, which use toll booths, don't necessarily let you pass under a toll gantry at full speed like in Melbourne.

I think it's nice to make an overview of the tolling system used in various countries, especially on motorways/freeways, and how they work.

By tolling system, I mean something like vignettes, toll plaza's or electronic tolling, and not gas taxes/car taxes.

Let's start with The Netherlands

As of 2008, there is no general tolling system, only a few tunnels require toll, like the Kiltunnel near Dordrecht on the N217 and the Westerscheldetunnel on the N62. The motorways remain untolled as of 2008, however there are long-term plans to implement an electronic tolling, no earlier than 2011 for trucks, and later for cars. However, there are a lot of obstacles that need to be taken, and support is diminishing due to high implementing costs and reduced purchasing power for commuters.

Actually, There is 1 more spot in the Netherlands where you have to pay toll, that is at the bridge in the tiny place "Nieuwerbrug" (which means "New Bridge").

This is a picture made in January this yeat: Although there were signs indicating that the toll would resume on the 1st of January 2008 after a toll-free period, I didn't have to pay anything:

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2412/nbcn4.jpg

Furthermore: The toll-station on the Welsh M4:
http://gallery.autosnelwegen.net/S_GB-M4-13.JPG

http://gallery.autosnelwegen.net/S_GB-M4-14.JPG

In Italy: closed system, take the ticket upon entering and pay on your way out. Manned booths if you haven't got the right change or cards. Automatic booths for pre-paid cards, ATM and credit cards. Some short stretches feature the french style, money basket since it's a fixed price. Most everywhere for frequent travelers, radio transponders -aka Telepass - and the cost will be debited on your bank account/credit card. You just have to slow down to 70/80 km/h and the gate will open for you in and out. Fast and efficient. Becoming popular among regular citizens, not just company cars and trucks.


Not only italians highways are probably the most expansive in the world, but the Telepass WalkTheWorld was talking about it's the only kind of subscription that make you pay more instead of less...for the charging of the toll on your bank account, you also have to pay bank expanses (if they didn't change it) :ohno: Couldn't our freeway be really free? Or with vignette like more civilised country do?

Vignette. :D
You're kiddin' :D

In the USA I've only paid toll for the Big Dig so far. In Alaska I haven't encountered any toll booth so far :D

You're kiddin' :D

In the USA I've only paid toll for the Big Dig so far. In Alaska I haven't encountered any toll booth so far :D

Alaska doesn't have enough people for toll roads to work. And it pays for its highways and roads with oil from Prudhoe Bay.

But the rest of America does. My state (Virginia) has tolls. There are different approaches to tolls. On the capital beltway, which circles around Washington D.C., High Occupancy Toll Lanes are currently being built. HOT lanes require single-occupant vehicles to pay a toll that varies based on demand, called congestion pricing. The tolls change throughout the day according to real-time traffic conditions to manage the number of cars in the lanes and keep them free of congestion, even during rush hour. On these HOT lanes, you may also ride in them for free if your vehicle contains three or more persons.

Virginia also has High-occupancy vehicle lanes. These alleviate congestion for those who carpool, or travel with two or more people. Only cars with two or more people are allowed in them, and there is no fee.

Virginia also has normal toll lanes, one of which is the Dulles Toll Rd., which people pay a fee with an E-ZPass. Dulles Toll Rd. takes you to Washington Dulles International Airport. Most states in the Northeast use the E-ZPass, which allows you to ride at near-highway speeds through a gate, where the fee is paid electronically by a wireless device you hold up on your winshield.

How is Alaska, Timon Kruijk? Where in Alaska are you?

There is no national toll road system in the US. Some states have them, and others don't. I live in a state that doesn't (Connecticut). However, we border states that do, so it's unavoidable if you want to get to certain areas.

Pretty much all the states in the Northeast with tolls (which is pretty much ALL except Vermont and CT) use EZ-PASS, an electronic tolling system.

http://blog.pennlive.com/lvbreakingnews/2007/08/ezpass.jpg


I don't know all that much about it because I don't need one here. But from what I've seen, it reads your transponder on your car when you pass a gate so you just drive by the toll gate instead of stopping. I think you get a bill later and you get reduced rates. Don't know really. :dunno:

Here's a picture of how it works:

http://www.geocities.com/srivathsajoshi/ezpass.gif

Didn't I just say that?

Melbourne uses electronic tolling through either a transponder in your car or by your registration plates. It's fully automated and there are no toll booths anywhere. You still have to buy a pass if you don't have an account, otherwise an invoice comes in the mail with a much higher price to pay.
you can pay at certain gas stations before you use the tollways. That way you won't get charged admin fees and other shit. Just the toll.

In Italy: closed system, take the ticket upon entering and pay on your way out. Manned booths if you haven't got the right change or cards. Automatic booths for pre-paid cards, ATM and credit cards. Some short stretches feature the french style, money basket since it's a fixed price. Most everywhere for frequent travelers, radio transponders -aka Telepass - and the cost will be debited on your bank account/credit card. You just have to slow down to 70/80 km/h and the gate will open for you in and out. Fast and efficient. Becoming popular among regular citizens, not just company cars and trucks.

Officially, the limit is 30 km/h, because these gates have barriers and higher speeds are dangerous...if the barrier doesn't work.

In Switzerland motorways can be used with a vignette. It costs 40 CHF/40 USD/25 EUR for a year. There are no cheaper versions for shorter periods.

There are others tolled roads, the Great St Bernard and Munt la Schera tunnels and the 7+1 train shuttles. For these services you pay between 20 and 60 CHF. For some of these train shuttles there is no road alternative, or the alternative road is closed during winter. There is usually a shuttle train every 30-60 minutes.

How much road tax does a Swiss driver pay? The vignette alone is pretty cheap for a whole year.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Nse-kl-toll.JPG/800px-Nse-kl-toll.JPG
Malaysia uses three modes of toll payment - cash, Touch n Go and Smart Tag. Touch n Go is an electronic payment system where you need to tap a Touch n Go card at the card reader at the entry toll booth and exit toll booth. The card has a stored prepaid value and can be topped up.

Meanwhile, Smart Tag is essentially an electonic tag system that uses a Touch n Go card inside the electonic tag. Since it uses a Touch n Go card, Smart Tag users may need to remove their Touch n Go card and tap it manually at toll booths without Smart Tag lanes.

There are 2 tolling system used in Malaysian expressways - open system and closed system. For the open system, drivers need to pay fixed amount of toll at the toll booth. For the closed system, drivers take their toll tickets at entry toll booths and pay the amount of toll at exit toll booths. The toll is based on the distance.

It's completely automated.. Basically your license plate is recorded upon entering, and then exiting, and you're billed in the mail.

This system is being used in Norway as well. Still, toll booths are found all over the country, and any driver will face them, some time or another.

Alaska doesn't have enough people for toll roads to work. And it pays for its highways and roads with oil from Prudhoe Bay.

But the rest of America does. My state (Virginia) has tolls. There are different approaches to tolls. On the capital beltway, which circles around Washington D.C., High Occupancy Toll Lanes are currently being built. HOT lanes require single-occupant vehicles to pay a toll that varies based on demand, called congestion pricing. The tolls change throughout the day according to real-time traffic conditions to manage the number of cars in the lanes and keep them free of congestion, even during rush hour. On these HOT lanes, you may also ride in them for free if your vehicle contains three or more persons.

Virginia also has High-occupancy vehicle lanes. These alleviate congestion for those who carpool, or travel with two or more people. Only cars with two or more people are allowed in them, and there is no fee.

Virginia also has normal toll lanes, one of which is the Dulles Toll Rd., which people pay a fee with an E-ZPass. Dulles Toll Rd. takes you to Washington Dulles International Airport. Most states in the Northeast use the E-ZPass, which allows you to ride at near-highway speeds through a gate, where the fee is paid electronically by a wireless device you hold up on your winshield.

How are your country's toll lanes? Are there many different approaches to tolling?

How is Alaska, Timon Kruijk? Where in Alaska are you?

Beautiful. I really like it. I was very lucky to see Mt. McKinley. I started in Anchorage and drove north to Denali. Then to Fairbanks, where I am now. Tomorrow I leave for Valdez and then the day after the day after tomorrow I drive back to Anchorage.
And of course there are no tolls over here. The busiest road of the state, the George Parks highway (Anchorage-Fairbanks) is almost completely empty.

]Officially, the limit is 30 km/h,[/B] because these gates have barriers and higher speeds are dangerous...if the barrier doesn't work.


Hot damn!
Busted....:)

Didn't I just say that?

Yeah, but you were talking about it from your perspective in Virginia. :)

Ticket on entry and pay on exit or electronic(optional, you dont have to stop but you need a box on the windscreen. This only is for motorways.

It's just for the Otoyol network in Turkey except recently built roads(Bursa Beltway, G.Antep-Ş.Urfa).

In Istanbul bridges, cash zones are lifted. Only for automatic card systems.

In the Bay Area, we have several bridges which are all tolled. Otherwise I've never come across a toll road.

For us, we register for a system called FastTrak. It charges either through the transponder or your license plate. If you drive one of your cars through, and it's not registered, they send you a ticket for $25, but allows you for the option to register that car. Once registered, the ticket is waived, and you'll get charged automatically.

There is a growing use of HOT lanes in sub-urban areas and commuter belts but is there any evidence that the HOT lane principle works in crowded urban areas?

HOT = High Occupancy Toll right? Does it mean you can also use the lane when you're alone, and want to pay toll in order to keep moving, or do you really need to have more than 2 people on board?

Given the fact that HOV-lanes pop up everywhere (they're especially keen on them in California), I got a hunch it might work.

yes essentially high occupancy lane with the excess capacity 'sold' via a variable toll system to ensure the HO traffic keeps moving ata minimum speed.

HOT = High Occupancy Toll right? Does it mean you can also use the lane when you're alone, and want to pay toll in order to keep moving, or do you really need to have more than 2 people on board?

Given the fact that HOV-lanes pop up everywhere (they're especially keen on them in California), I got a hunch it might work.

In Madrid you don't pay any kind of toll for using the HOT lane, if there are less than 2 people on board you just can't use it or else you'll be fined.

Not many km of HOT lanes in Madrid though, only 16 km along the A-6 highway, it has been working since 1994.

HOT lane in Spanish: BUS-VAO lane (autobús-Vehículos de Alta Ocupación)

HOV - spare capacity not sold hence lanes always seem somewhat empty
HOT - Spare capacity sold until lanes flowing at optimum speed

HOT lanes give more bang for the buck

So you can just buy your way through the traffic jam? Ultimate capitalism I guess, but if people want to do it, be my guest.

The problem with HOV lanes is that they often consume more space, especially with those HOV lanes which are not immediatly adjacent to the regular lanes, you have one HOV lane where you could've put 2 normal lanes.

Proponents of HOV lanes will say it has a higher capacity because it transports more people, however, capacity is calculated in the number of vehicles, not the number of travellers inside a vehicle. However, I do believe HOV lanes are a good choice in major cities because it stimulates people to have a higher amount of travellers per vehicle. The downside is that HOV lanes can only exist if the regular lanes are often jammed, so it's not a real solution to traffic congestion.

So you can just buy your way through the traffic jam? Ultimate capitalism I guess, but if people want to do it, be my guest.

The problem with HOV lanes is that they often consume more space, especially with those HOV lanes which are not immediatly adjacent to the regular lanes, you have one HOV lane where you could've put 2 normal lanes.

Proponents of HOV lanes will say it has a higher capacity because it transports more people, however, capacity is calculated in the number of vehicles, not the number of travellers inside a vehicle. However, I do believe HOV lanes are a good choice in major cities because it stimulates people to have a higher amount of travellers per vehicle. The downside is that HOV lanes can only exist if the regular lanes are often jammed, so it's not a real solution to traffic congestion.

In Madrid it is inmediately adjacent to the lanes, in fact it is in between the left and right lanes.

http://xarxamobal.diba.cat/XGMSV/imatges/practiques/bus_vao.jpeg

So you can just buy your way through the traffic jam? Ultimate capitalism I guess, but if people want to do it, be my guest.

The problem with HOV lanes is that they often consume more space, especially with those HOV lanes which are not immediatly adjacent to the regular lanes, you have one HOV lane where you could've put 2 normal lanes.

Proponents of HOV lanes will say it has a higher capacity because it transports more people, however, capacity is calculated in the number of vehicles, not the number of travellers inside a vehicle. However, I do believe HOV lanes are a good choice in major cities because it stimulates people to have a higher amount of travellers per vehicle. The downside is that HOV lanes can only exist if the regular lanes are often jammed, so it's not a real solution to traffic congestion.

In my state of Washington. Our HOV lanes are connected right to the freeway as an additional lane plus a shoulder on the side. The upside of HOV lanes is that some cities use their buses on the freeways making the travel times more reliable with an HOV lane due to congestion. What might want to be recommended if you can stick two lanes into 1 HOV lane, perhaps create an express tollway (2 HOT lanes essentially) where HOVs are still free and single occupancies can pay there way in based off of congestion based pricing.

If there is a solution to traffic congestion, there has to be more modes of transport and high frequencies in order to make the mode competitive against the car.

Haven't we had this discussion before?

Anyway, Israel's Road 6, which is our only toll road, has the same system.

That's because the system of Road 6 is directly based on our 407 (designed by the same company) :)

Yeah, but you were talking about it from your perspective in Virginia. :)

Well, we do have a balanced perspective... being a swing state (purple state). And don't we have similar perspectives? Being Americans

If there is a solution to congestion then it is adopting a users pay principle.

Most people treat roads as 'free' ways. They are not free they cost money to build and maintain. If the true cost of your journey (road building, maintenance, congestion, petrol, policing, pollution etc etc) was actually built into the cost then public transport would be cost competitive and there would be more of it. Cities would be designed to facilitate public transport and popular urban areas would be close to good subway routes not in the MuckBurbs.

my 2 pennies worth..

capacity is calculated in the number of vehicles, not the number of travellers inside a vehicle.

Governments count cars because it is easier not because it is the right measure. Roads are for people and freight, vehicles are just a means to an end not the end!

Yeah, but road capacity is simply measured in the number of vehicles per hour per lane.

I believe the UN uses passenger numbers and Tonnes of Freight to calculate traffic density. If your local Government uses a rough count of cars and HGV's then they're are either being lazy or have close relationships with the construction industry. Vehicles are a means not the end.

I believe the UN uses passenger numbers and Tonnes of Freight to calculate traffic density.

Not for design specifics, only to calculate the traffic prestation. (like in billion miles travelled). As far as I know, the UN does not design freeways.

For the Stockholm congestion zone there are numerous toll stations that register the licence plates and then the system sends the owner a bill the following month. This means that only Swedish cars are subject to the toll. Cars need not slow down when passing these.

The only other two toll stations are at the two bridges leading to Norway and Denmark. These are conventional toll plazas of the type seen in Spain, France, Portugal, Morocco, Croatia etc.

The Chicago area has around 450KM of toll roads. The tolls vary, but it costs around 40 cents to drive on them for 16KM.

They're currently widening almost all of the toll roads to between 8 and 10 lanes.

I-80
I-88
I-90
I-94
I-294
I-355

In 1959 the system carried around:

42,800,000 vehicles

In 2006 the system carried around:

764,137,000 vehicles

In Brazil we have fixed-price toll boths only, on selected roads, operated by private companies under 20 to 30 yrs agreements. Because almost all of those roads are not freeways or with controlled-acess, with plenty of sideway acess and local traffic, it is estimated that more than half of traffic just don't have to pay tolls because they don't drive through toll both.

There's a handfull of electronic-collecting schemes with magnetic cards (being phased out) or electronic tags, but unfortunatelly not all of them are mutually compatible.

The Chicago area has around 450KM of toll roads. The tolls vary, but it costs around 40 cents to drive on them for 16KM.


Wow, that's like € 0,016 per km. I think they charge almost 7 times more in France and Italy.

^^ Just for purposes of comparison - the most tolled road over here is the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. (Doing that drive in a few weeks by the way, will see if I can get some photos.)

At the moment, the toll fees for a light motor vehicle are:

Mariannhill: R6.50
Mooi: R27.00
Tugela: R38.00
Wilge: R36.00
De Hoek: R26.00

That's R133.50 (€11.50, $17.20). The trip is 560km or so, so that's R0.23/km (€0.021/km, $0.031/km). Not too bad.

Having said that, there are proposed toll plazas along a lot of Johannesburg's freeways; if they are ever built (which seems rather likely), some sections of road there will likely have a higher rate per kilometre than the N3.

Well, toll has to be compared to the average income ofcourse. You can't charge 15 eurocents per kilometer on an African motorway if it is the same like a meal in say Senegal or Nigeria.

I believe that French toll ways are one of the most expensive in the world. U have to pay about 65 euro to get from the swiss border to the south of Belgium. :nuts:

Vignette. :D That's for vehicles under 3.5 t, for others, toll booths are still in use.

I read in another forum, that there is a roundabout south of Pesnica (where a motorway ends?) which technically is part of the motorway. that means, that you need a vignette just to drive though this roundabout, even when you don't want to enter the highway.

The fine if you are catched by the police if you don't have a vignette is around 300€. But there is a bike road nearby, and if the police catches you there, the fine is around 85€ (but you have to drive back).

is that true?

Alaska doesn't have enough people for toll roads to work. And it pays for its highways and roads with oil from Prudhoe Bay.



Actually you have to pay toll for the one-laned rail/road tunnel between Porter and Whittier :D

Toll evaders could lose cars
16 September 2008

DOVER, Del. (AP) - A new Delaware law could punish toll evaders with the temporary loss of their car.

The Delaware Department of Transportation and the Delaware River and Bay Authority are working jointly to identify the most serious toll cheats on Interstate 95, Route 1 and the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Those with unpaid tolls and penalties totaling more than $1,000 could have their cars impounded until they pay up.

Drivers with an outstanding toll obligation are advised to promptly contact the DRBA or DelDOT to resolve their debt.

Atlanta car pool lanes may soon charge toll
18 September 2008

ATLANTA (AP) - Drivers wanting to use the car pool lane on Atlanta interstates soon might have to pay for the privilege.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is moving forward with a more than $400 million plan to convert all 44 miles of HOV lanes in the city to toll lanes. Large car pools and buses could ride for free, but single drivers and small car pools would have to pay.

State officials hope to start construction in 2010.

Meanwhile, the state is looking for federal grants to finance the project. About half of the money would go to converting the HOV lanes and the rest would go to mass transit and park-and-ride lots.

State officials don't yet know how much the toll price or minimum car pool size would be.

Slovenia's road tax system unfair to foreigners: EU
2 October 2008
Agence France Presse

Slovenia, under criticism from the European Commission, denied Thursday that recently introduced road vignettes discriminated against short-term visitors.

"Slovenia's position remains unchanged unless we receive some additional arguments," junior transport minister Peter Verlic told journalists.

The European Commission said earlier it had sent Slovenia "a letter of formal notice to stop discriminatory treatment of occasional users on Slovenian toll roads."

The dispute is over road stickers for cars and motorbikes that Ljubljana introduced in July. They are valid only for six or 12 months.

This worked against foreign nationals or foreign residents who only occasionally used Slovenia's motorway network compared to Slovenian nationals or Slovenian residents, the Commission said in a statement on its website.

Slovenia should allow foreign residents transiting through the country to buy a shorter-term vignette, the Commission suggested.

The motorway stickers, which cost 35 euros (55 dollars) for six months and 55 euros for a year, have also been criticised by automobile associations and tourist organisations in Germany and Austria.

Their nationals often drive through Slovenia to their holiday destinations in Croatia, Greece or Turkey.

But Slovenia's transport ministry said in a statement Thursday: "There is no direct or indirect discrimination (of foreign drivers) since both domestic and foreign users have equal possibilities to use the vignettes."

Verlic added: "The introduction brought exactly what the government expected: better flow on the highways, less waiting at tolls and a reduction of transit on local roads."

I feel like Verlic thinks we don't wanna pay tolls at all. I don't think that's true, I don't mind paying a little toll, but they should introduce short-term vignettes for like 2 days for say, € 5 - 10. Or take the usual north-south routes, and multiply the distance by € 0,1 per km. That's still a pretty high price, but nothing like the € 35 madness.

^^That 2 day vignette would be a good idea, but that other idea about the north-south routes is not. When coming from any country in north-western Europe (Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Germany......) and heading for Zagreb, you drive approximately 190 kms in Slovenia. When doing that route twice (you want to go back home, of course) you pay 2×190×0.1 = 38 Euros. Than the €35 vignette is still better. However, this is still to expensive, I agree.

You have to pay 35 euros even if you're just driving through? That's ridiculous.

^^Unfortunately, yes. I believe that there are people who made maps with toll-free roads for transit traffic :lol:

You have to pay 35 euros even if you're just driving through? That's ridiculous.

yes, even if you use Pyhrnautobahn (Zagreb - Maribor - Graz...) for silly 15 km of motorway you must paj 35€ (bypassing is really bad, you must go through centre of Maribor and really low important local roads, and still you're using rounabout at Pesnica which is under tolling

Tight budgets, rising costs have NY highway managers putting off paving and other projects
13 October 2008

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New Yorkers weathering the national economic downturn can expect another sort of rough ride as state and local highway managers rework road construction plans, scaling back or postponing projects ranging from bridge reconstruction to road resurfacing.

They blame tight budgets, rising inflation and the high price of oil, which has driven up the cost of asphalt, the key ingredient in sealing roadways to keep out pothole-causing moisture. Asphalt, also known as blacktop, is derived from crude oil, and its cost has been rising so far and fast that it is busting some highway construction and maintenance budgets.

"The price has quadrupled in the last six months or so, and in some cases there have been shortages," said A.J. Castelbuono, president of the Associated General Contractors of New York. "That's something that just wasn't anticipated."

Managers at the New York State Thruway Authority -- who rely heavily on toll money to pay for construction and maintenance -- said this month they're putting off $250 million worth of planned projects. They blamed rising construction costs and a decrease in toll-paying drivers.

The Thruway's scaled back roadwork plans come just months after officials there approved a new series of toll hikes they said were needed to pay for the work. Projects taken out of the plans through 2011 include replacing toll barriers and rebuilding and resurfacing roadways and bridges.

The problem is spreading beyond the 641-mile superhighway, though. State and county project planners, facing the same rising costs and an uncertain outlook for future funding, are backing off of some previously planned roadwork.

Planners at the New York State Department of Transportation who had 325 projects in the works are expecting to pull 30 of them from this year's plan. That's because the $1.7 billion they had to work with in this year's budget isn't going as far as expected, said Carol Breen, an agency spokeswoman.

Budget managers are still figuring out which projects will have to be postponed and expect to have a list in the next few weeks, Breen said.

"We're definitely scaling back, we just don't know exactly where yet," she said.

So-called "megaprojects" -- such as the rehabilitation of the Alexander Hamilton Bridge and Highbridge Interchange Ramps on the Cross Bronx Expressway and the reconstruction of a stretch of Route 17 between exits 116 and 121 in Orange County -- won't be affected.

But state highway managers will likely defer other types of routine work, including plans to resurface 670 miles of road throughout the state. "We're going to have to scale that down," Breen said.

Roadwork contractors have noticed a big difference this year, Castelbuono said.

The typical flurry of notices about upcoming contracts for work that needs to be done before the cold weather sets in has been conspicuously absent, he said.

"We can't figure out exactly what they're trying to do," Castelbuono said. "When you delay letting a project by a week or two, you don't just lose a week or two -- especially at this time of year."

Less road resurfacing this fall is likely to mean more potholes next spring.

That's because potholes are caused by snow melt and rainwater that seep through cracks in the road surface to the underlying dirt and gravel. As the water freezes and thaws, it weakens a section of the road and ultimately causes a pothole.

County highway managers are scrambling to get their roads in good shape for the winter as well, but most are scaling back their plans or finding other ways to cut costs, said James Brady, president of the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association.

"Everyone's in the same boat," said Brady, who is Wayne County's highway superintendent. "If your budget last year allowed you to do one mile, this year with the higher costs its about a half mile."

With higher costs and stagnant budgets, county highway managers are being forced to cut back their maintenance and construction or find less costly ways to do the work, Brady said.

In Livingston County, Highway Superintendent Don Higgins said his crews are doing a little bit of both.

On major reconstruction projects there, workers used a method known as chip sealing -- which sprays a light layer of asphalt over a layer of crushed stone -- instead of the more expensive hot mix asphalt, Higgins said.

"It's not as long lasting, and its noisier because the surface has the stones exposed," he said. "But it seals the roadway, which is the most important part."

Maine Turnpike toll hikes expected in February
Wednesday October 15, 3:12 pm ET
By Glenn Adams, Associated Press Writer

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Maine Turnpike users can expect to see toll increases averaging 23 percent in February, a year sooner than expected, turnpike Executive Director Paul Violette told a legislative committee Wednesday.

The speedup in toll increases is unavoidable, given declining revenues, increased maintenance costs and the impact of the Wall Street financial collapse, Violette told the Transportation Committee in advance of votes that will set the stage for the hikes.

The turnpike normally adjusts tolls in five-year cycles, but even after canceling some projects and cutting back others it sees no alternative to moving up the toll increases by a year, Violette said. The last toll hike was in February 2005.

"The authority has no choice," Violette said following the committee meeting. He noted that without an increase in tolls, which will amount to about $20 million, the trustees who represent turnpike bond holders can impose the increase themselves.

The turnpike authority on Thursday is expected to ask its staff to formulate new rates for the various vehicle classifications and turnpike user groups. By Dec. 12, it will vote on the new toll structure, which would go into effect Feb. 12, 2009, a year sooner than new tolls would take effect in more economically stable times, Violette said.

Last March, the authority reduced its operating budget by more than $1 million per year and put $3 million worth of projects on hold, Violette said. Then, seeing a decline in traffic as fuel prices spiked this summer, the 100-mile highway's overseers terminated $3 million worth of projects and reduced others by $2 million, Violette said.

It soon became clear that no amount of cutting could forestall jumping a year ahead with a toll increase, Violette said.

"I know it's a tough time. We have searched high and low for a way to avoid this," Violette said.

Declining revenues, due in large part to people's tendency to drive less when gas prices shoot up, and increased construction and maintenance costs create a doubly whammy that affects financing for the state's network of non-toll highways. State officials have been struggling to come up with solutions so highways and bridges can be kept in shape.

Sen. Dennis Damon, who co-chairs the Transportation Committee, described the twin pressures of lower revenues and higher costs as the gaping jaws of an alligator.

"The alligator's mouth is opening wider and wider," the Trenton Democrat warned at Wednesday's meeting.

A resolution to be voted on Thursday by the turnpike authority says toll highway revenue projections for 2008 have been revised from 2.5 percent growth to negative 1.7 percent. It says general highway construction costs have increased by more than 38 percent since 2005.

Costs of specific maintenance items have also increased sharply since 2005, it says. Diesel fuel is up 117 percent, deicing salt is up 83 percent and paving mix has risen 82 percent.

Still, the Maine Turnpike says its per-mile charges for passenger cars and commercial vehicles are among the lowest in the nation.

Violette said Maine is not alone in raising its tolls, saying similar increases are being imposed on other highways including New Jersey's turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Increases have been under discussion in Massachusetts and New Hampshire raised its turnpike tolls last year.

You know, there is a way to avoid all of these budget shortfalls, toll road privatization, and toll hikes. And that is to INCREASE funding for infrastructure at the federal level, which has been woefully shortchanged over the past few decades. Increased infrastructure spending will create jobs and hel pull the economy out of recession.

Perhaps we need a 1930s-style infrastructure push once again.

Perhaps we need a 1930s-style infrastructure push once again.

I agree. It would really help the economy. Congress is considering another stimulus package would include increased infrastructure spending.

Illinois tollway eyes bonds for $1.8 bln plan

CHICAGO, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority would issue bonds to finance a $1.8 billion plan to add special bus and ride-sharing commuter lanes and new interchanges to the tollway system, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and tollway officials said on Wednesday.

The bonds would be backed by increased toll rates for commercial vehicles and for single-passenger cars using the new commuter lanes, according to a statement.

The 80 miles of so-called green lanes would cost $400 million, while the interchanges carry a price tag of $1.4 billion.

"The Illinois Tollway has the solid financial foundation and the engineering capabilities to immediately begin the process of building these long-awaited interchange improvement projects," said John Mitola, the tollway authority board chairman. "In addition, the introduction of green lanes reduces our impact on the environment, while saving drivers time and money."

The tollway board, which runs the 286-mile system in northeastern Illinois, is expected to vote on the plan at its meeting next month, following a public hearing, the statement said.

Here is a small table I've made of toll roads and statistics in Australia.


Toll Road $ revenue (Mil) trips (Mil) Tolls AU$
CityLink 362.8 247.9 1.65 to 6.21
M1 (Eastern Distrib) 75.3 17.4 5.00
M2 (Hills) 120.6 33.8 4.40 to 6.60
M4 (Western Mwy) 88.5 40.6 2.75
M5 (South Western Mwy) 163.6 42.3 3.80
M7 (Westlink) 153.2 41.8 0.44 to 6.57
Gateway Motorway 90.6 33.6 2.90
Logan Motorway 69.9 37.2 2.00 to 3.20
Sydney Harbour Tunnel 43.7 ? 3.00
Sydney Harbour Bridge 85.91 ? 3.00
Lane Cove Tunnel unknown unknown 2.69
Cross City Tunnel unknown unknown 4.07

Mark.

Mass. turnpike spent $160K on raises as tolls hikes weighed; official says money saved overall
22 November 2008

BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority gave $160,000 in raises to 13 managers in the last year, even as it prepared for toll hikes to pay down Big Dig debt.

But the agency's executive director, Alan LeBovidge, said the raises went to employees promoted to take on the responsibilities of positions that were eliminated. He said the savings from the job eliminations outweighed the cost of the raises.

The Turnpike board voted last week to raise tolls around Boston, including doubling them to $7 at the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels.

Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation told The Boston Globe the timing of the raises, as unpopular toll hikes were considered, was unfortunate.

But he added the workers are taking on broader duties, and the agency needs strong management during tough times.

From Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece:
8 Toll stations (minimun price at each station= 1,80 €, Maximum= 2,75 € )
Totally: about 13 € (only from Athens to Thessaloniki)

does Greece have some motorway sections with closed tolling system, or it is everywhere opened? (closed: take ticket and pay at exit; open: just pay at toll booths)

Interestingly, some time ago a group of polish drivers filed a suit in court against tolls on motorways. They argued that stopping on a motorway is forbidden. And if they make you stop your car to pay toll, that's no longer a motorway in the strict sense thus collecting a toll is illegal. Of course the suit has been dismissed.

I think tolls can be justified. It depends on other taxes already existing, and that's why I'm against additional tolling in the Netherlands. They say on average it's not gonna cost more, but I doubt that, since there are more cars than households in the Netherlands, and quite some people have a second car that doesn't drive very much, so the "average" might be something like 12.000 kilometers, and LOTS of people drive more than that. If you commute 25 kilometers, that's already about 12.500 kilometers a year

I think tolls can be justified. It depends on other taxes already existing, and that's why I'm against additional tolling in the Netherlands. They say on average it's not gonna cost more, but I doubt that, since there are more cars than households in the Netherlands, and quite some people have a second car that doesn't drive very much, so the "average" might be something like 12.000 kilometers, and LOTS of people drive more than that. If you commute 25 kilometers, that's already about 12.500 kilometers a year

I agree in principle. In Norway, where drivers also are taxed heavily anyway (a new, mid-size sedan, say a Toyota Avensis, will set you back about 35.000 euros, for instance), tolls should not be necessary. However, many projects - both sensible and insane - would not have happened if it hadn't been for tolls, and without them, any improvements to an abysmal road network would happen even slower than it is today.

Italy may freeze road tolls, rail prices -Vegas

ROME, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Italian government will consider freezing highway tolls and rail ticket prices at a cabinet meeting next Wednesday, Treasury Under-Secretary Giuseppe Vegas said on Friday.

"Yes, that should be there, but it's still soon, we are considering it," Vegas said when asked by journalists if the measure would be part of a package of policies aimed at stimulating the economy that the cabinet will pass next week.

Italy not blocking energy, road tariffs - Trsy

ROME, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Italy's economic stimulus package does not impose a block on regulated prices for electricity, gas and road tolls, the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.

When the package was presented on Friday, Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti said that prices would be temporarily frozen or reduced as a way of helping consumers. The shares of utility company ENEL were hit by the announcement.

A statement by the economy ministry on Tuesday said the regulated prices of road tolls, electricity and gas would not be subject to a block but would continue to be determined by the relevant regulatory authorities.

Background
Toll highways are nothing new. However, with limited infrastructure budgets around the world, would you support tolls to fund expansion and maintenance, such as adding tolls to existing highways or building new toll highways?

N.J. considers turning free highways into private toll roads
By BETH DeFALCO
15 November 2006

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Some long and winding roads may lead to New Jersey lowering its sky-high property taxes and increasing aid to school districts.

Besides considering selling or leasing the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, Gov. Jon S. Corzine's administration on Wednesday said it wants more information on the pros and cons of converting several freeways into tollways.

Indiana has leased its northern toll road for 75 years for $3.8 billion.

Specifically, the state is looking to hire transportation consultants to study the conversion of routes 78, 80 and 95, the Pulaski Skyway and the section of Route 440 in Middlesex County between the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway to toll roads, according to a request for proposals released Wednesday.

Privatizing New Jersey roads is just one of the ideas Corzine is considering as a way to help shore up state finances and lower the state's highest-in-the-nation property tax.

"The administration will be looking into the pros and cons, the upsides and downsides and what is in the best interests of taxpayers and users of our assets," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "After all is said and done, the most favorable option for an asset could very well be to do nothing."

State Senate President Richard Codey has said money earned from transferring control of state assets such as the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway to an outside entity not only could allow the state to slash property taxes by an average of 20 percent, but also increase school funding by $1 billion.

Besides trying to figure out the value of privatizing tollways, consultants will also try to determine the impact adding new tolls would have on nearby roads.

States are allowed to set up tollways on interstate highways but must first get the approval of the Federal Highway Administration.

The Star-Ledger of Newark first reported on the plan for new tollroads in Wednesday's newspapers.

Meanwhile, New Jersey officials have been eying as examples two recent toll-road leases, one in Chicago and one in Indiana, both of which leased roadways to a Spanish-Australian consortium.

Chicago will get $1.83 billion for a 99-year lease.

Under the Indiana agreement, the consortium can begin raising tolls annually either by 2 percent, the rate of inflation or increase in gross domestic product, beginning in 2010. Most of the lease money will be used to help finance hundreds of highway and other transportation projects, according to Indiana officials.

However, some New Jersey lawmakers question the benefits of letting a private company run some of the busiest roads in America.

"I am not convinced that there is support for the sale or lease of the toll roads to a for-profit private company," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Public Works Committee.

Wisniewski said he doubts a private company can make enough money off a toll road lease without increasing tolls. Otherwise, he said, the state would be making billions off toll roads already.

"If we want more to come out of the road," he said, "we have to put more into the road."

------

Associated Press Writer Tom Hester Jr. contributed to this report.
^^George Carlin (RIP) called New Jersey the "Tollbooth State" back in 1986!!! I wonder what he would think should this go forward.

Pa. Turnpike officials warn tolls about to jump
4 December 2008

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania Turnpike officials are reminding motorists that tolls will rise by 25 percent in January.

The increase is paying for mass transit subsidies and improvements to the state's roads and bridges under a transportation bill passed in 2007.

The most common toll paid by passenger vehicles will go from 75 cents to 95 cents, while a typical truck's tolls will be $7.85, up from $6.25.

The turnpike's annual revenues will climb from $619 million to about $738 million.

Higher tolls will take effect Jan. 4 over nearly the entire 545-mile system. The only exceptions are some newly opened sections of the turnpike in western Pennsylvania.

It's the sixth rate change in 68 years. The most recent toll increase occurred four years ago.

Nah, American toll roads are generally still much cheaper than European tollroads. (except some HOT-systems perhaps).

and tolled motorways are quite expensive...:ohno:

I noticed many American toll roads (Indiana Toll Road, Kansas Turnpike, Ohio Turnpike etc.) only charge about $ 0.025 per kilometer. In Europe, they usually charge up to $ 0,15 per kilometer.

^^ my post is from the "french mways" thread, so I was talking about the french tolls... :)

correction: in the slovenian thread in which we were talking about french motorways... :)

^ Your post is actually in the Slovenian thread. :P

This is about tolls, so it's the right section :)

The Netherlands luckily doesn't have tolls on the regular motorways. Just a few tunnels are tolled.