Legislation Would Reduce Toll Power

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A bill introduced by Sens. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) would limit the authority of states to toll Interstate highways to pay for building or repairing bridges and tunnels on them, a power granted in the 1998 highway spending bill.

The measure would not eliminate such authority altogether, as it would grant exceptions if no other funding could be found and the tolls were to go toward construction of “major” bridges and tunnels. The bill also would repeal a pilot program allowing up to three states to erect new Interstate tolls.

“I believe that highway tolls are a nonproductive and overly intrusive means of raising revenue, causing more harm to commerce than can be justified,” said Hollings in introducing the bill. “Congress, mistakenly in my opinion, increased the authority of states to put tolls on their Interstate highways in TEA-21. I am introducing the Interstate Tolls Relief Act of 1999 to restrict Interstate toll authority.”

“We welcome and strongly support this legislation,” said Walter B. McCormick Jr., president of American Trucking Associations. “Americans — and America’s trucking industry — should not have to pay tolls on highways for which we’ve already paid our fair share. To do so is like paying rent on a home you’ve already purchased.”

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