Rhode Island Trucking Group Blasts Senate-Approved Toll Plan

A plan approved by the Rhode Island Senate on June 23 to charge tolls to large commercial trucks that includes some tax rebates and grants for mostly local truckers is “discriminatory, sloppy and lacks information,” according to head of the state’s trucking association.

“They rolled it out a month ago, and it was sloppy,” Christopher Maxwell, president of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, told Transport Topics. “They revised it, it got sloppier, and they revised it again and it got even sloppier.” 

The plan still would require collection of tolls from large trucks but offers $13.5 million in tax credits, fuel and property tax rebates to Rhode Island-based truckers and shipping companies. 

Under the revised bill, the maximum toll to cross the state was reduced from $50 to $30, and the average toll amount was reduced from $6 to $3.50. The money would go toward Rhode Island bridge repairs. 

The Senate OK’d the bill 33-4, but the House has yet to vote on it.

“This is not the type of plan you roll out if you’re asking for a billion dollars, and certainly not when you’re asking for it from an industry without your ducks in order,” Maxwell said.

He added that there is a good chance that the plan will stall in the state House and be pushed back until the fall.

Although the Senate plan would give some tax breaks to mostly local truckers, interstate carriers would not benefit from the tax breaks, Maxwell said. The state’s legislative session is expected to conclude this week.

“If it doesn’t pass this week, there will be some time for everyone to sit back and the Rhode Island Trucking Association will take the lead on proposing alternative solutions,” Maxwell said.

Gov. Gina Raimondo’s “RhodeWorks” plan would raise $60 million to $100 million a year beginning in 2017 from the installation of 17 to 22 tolling gantries. 

Construction worker unions are in favor of the plan because of the work it would bring to their industry.