Rhode Island Scales Back Proposed Truck Toll Plan
The trucking industry had voiced opposition to Raimondo’s original “RhodeWorks” plan that would have targeted trucks with three or more axles and placed tolling infrastructure along I-95, I-195 and I-295; and routes 6, 10 and 146.
Raimondo’s adjusted plan will charge only Classes 8-13, instead of Class 6 and larger as originally intended.
"Because of this modification, trucks that make local deliveries to homes across the state as well as oil trucks, garbage trucks and other large trucks with fewer than 18 wheels will not be assessed the user fee," the Providence Journal's Website reported, quoting from a document.
But the Rhode Island Trucking Association still opposes tolls of any kind. It held a press conference June 2 to argue for raising the gas tax instead. “We can’t live with any tolling on trucks,” RITA President Chris Maxwell said. “Absolutely not.”
Chris Maxwell of RI Trucking Assoc. says state will throw 30% of proposed truck toll $ away on overhead. pic.twitter.com/38pbO92Tzx
— Patrick Anderson (@PatrickAnderso_) June 2, 2015
And even after the governor's changes became public, the organization remained steadfast. “I don’t want you to think the problem is solved or that we’re satisfied in any way, shape or form,” Bill Fischer, a spokesman for the trucking association, told WPRI.com.
The tolls were to offset the cost of borrowing $700 million to make bridge repairs but were opposed by American Trucking Associations and others in the industry. “Trucking did not create the state’s current infrastructure crisis — that was the result of years of mismanagement and massive diversion of fuel tax and other highway user-fee revenue to fund general government expenses — and it is completely unfair that the industry be targeted to fix it,” ATA President Bill Graves said in a statement. “This plan to toll only trucks is quite literally highway robbery — stealing from our industry to paper over Rhode Island’s budget issues.”
Marie Aberger, a spokeswoman for the governor, told WPRI.com the revised toll proposal “will still generate over $100 million [a year] and provide the resources necessary to support the revenue bond.”
Aberger told WPRI that the median toll would be about $6 per location, with a maximum charge to cross the state at about $40 to $50. An individual truck would be charged no more than once per day in each direction at a toll stop.
Raimondo's proposal is part of the final version of the state budget, which is scheduled to be put to a vote next week.
