Tolls a consequence of avoiding real issue
Last month, the State Road and Tollway Authority voted to break a long-standing public promise and extend tolls on Ga. 400.
Public reaction was overwhelmingly negative, but it didn’t really matter. SRTA has just one elected member on its board. And that person, Gov. Sonny Perdue, is leaving office in January and knows he will never have to face the voters again.
In other words, SRTA is basically unaccountable to the people, and is designed to be. It may control public assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, assets that generate many millions more in annual public revenue, but SRTA could — and did — take its vote without real regard to public input.
The Ga. 400 decision is hardly the first time that promises have been broken to the people of Georgia regarding tolls. Revenue generated by Ga. 400 was supposed to be used only within that corridor, but in 2002, when SRTA was under the control of then-Gov. Roy Barnes, the agency quietly rewrote its bylaws to drop that provision. It then arranged the diversion of $10 million in toll revenue to buy seven acres of land near Atlantic Station, ostensibly for a transit project that never materialized.
At the time, Barnes and SRTA were also eyeing toll revenue from Ga. 400 to help finance the ill-fated Northern Arc, a superhighway then proposed to link I-85 and I-75 across the northern exurbs. That too never materialized.
More recently, in 2009, the state Transportation Board — another public entity with no direct accountability to the public — voted to reverse a 2005 pledge to the people of Georgia never to convert existing highway lanes into toll lanes. As a result of that policy change, north and southbound HOV lanes on I-85 between Chamblee Tucker Road and Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett County are now being converted into tolled lanes, and similar tolling projects are already in the planning stages.
The newly tolled lanes will be “managed lanes.” If they get crowded and traffic flow begins to slow, tolls will automatically rise to discourage drivers from using them. In effect, such a system represents a gesture of surrender by transportation planners. Unable to increase the supply of transportation options, they have turned to reducing demand as a way to keep traffic flowing.
If all of this sounds like a convoluted, contorted way of making public policy, it is. Step by step, over time, the public is being herded into grudging acceptance of policies that, given an open debate, it would probably reject out of hand. And along the way, difficult decisions that ought to be made by people accountable to voters are instead being handed off to quasi-public agencies that are insulated from public pressure.
But the truth is, we’ve given public officials very little choice but to behave in such a fashion. They are responding in a somewhat logical fashion to what is really an utterly illogical and, in the end, destructive situation.
According to a national transportation study released last week, the United States invests just 0.6 percent of its GDP on transportation annually. That’s half as much as China, Russia and central and eastern Europe and a third as much as Western Europe, which is investing 1.85 percent of GDP on transportation.
“The United States can’t compete successfully in the 21st century with a 20th century transportation infrastructure, especially when its chief trading partners … are making significant investments in cutting-edge transportation technologies,” the report states.
That’s not news to transportation planners at the federal, state and local levels. They know all too well that they’re starved for investment capital. For example, the prime source of federal transportation funding is the gasoline tax, which stands at 18.4 cents a gallon. It hasn’t been increased since 1993, when gasoline was selling for less than $1.10 a gallon.
So today, we’re paying close to triple that amount for gasoline to fuel our cars, but not a penny more in taxes for the roads and bridges on which to drive those vehicles. And our elected leaders at federal and state levels don’t dare try to increase that amount.
To some degree that’s a failure of leadership. Most people in elective office lack the courage and vision to make what ought to be a convincing case for more investment in our basic economic infrastructure. Instead, they plot inefficient, convoluted ways of squeezing money out of a distrustful American public, in the process making voters more distrustful still.
And in the long run, it’s not going to work. As the report concludes:
“The United States, which once invested prodigiously in transportation infrastructure, has for more than a generation now leaned ever more heavily on assets built in an earlier era.”
In other words, we’re out of fuel and content to coast.
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108 comments Add your comment
Jefferson
October 8th, 2010
7:32 am
Atlantans wonder why the rest of the state look at them funny.
TaxPayer
October 8th, 2010
7:40 am
And coast we will. Just a guess here but I would estimate that we will not see any significant change from the status quo for at least another thirty to fifty years, give or take. Maybe longer.
stands for decibels
October 8th, 2010
7:47 am
Among the many things I Did Not Know:
According to a national transportation study released last week, the United States invests just 0.6 percent of its GDP on transportation annually. That’s half as much as China, Russia and central and eastern Europe and a third as much as Western Europe, which is investing 1.85 percent of GDP on transportation.
Meanwhile, on a related note, and since it needs to be said: Chris Christie is an idiot.
Jack
October 8th, 2010
7:56 am
Toll roads seem to make sense to me as long as the funds go toward maintaining existing roads and not to subsidize another welfare system.
stands for decibels
October 8th, 2010
7:56 am
That crazy-expensive-we-can’t-afford-it rail tunnel might cost as much as a week and a half’s worth of the Excellent Afghanistan Adventure.
@@
October 8th, 2010
7:56 am
It’s rare that I travel the toll roads, but I do hate tollhouse cookies.
Government breaking promises? Government dodging accountability? Government ignoring the will of the people?
Geez! That sounds all too familiar.
When all else fails…
it gets Gorey.
arnold
October 8th, 2010
8:01 am
I just stay away from Atlanta. Even when traveling south, I by-pass Atlanta.
USinUK
October 8th, 2010
8:09 am
“To some degree that’s a failure of leadership.”
to SOME degree???
the “leaders” of the state aren’t taking care of their responsibilities for schools and infrastructure, and that’s an abdication of only “some” of their responsibility???
criminey.
stands for decibels
October 8th, 2010
8:10 am
we’re paying close to triple that amount for gasoline to fuel our cars, but not a penny more in taxes for the roads and bridges on which to drive those vehicles.
And of course beyond those roads and bridges which we’re trying to maintain on the cheap, we can’t possibly afford to fund mass transit adequately as an alternative to getting-in-your-car-alone-and-driving-the-same-route-to-work-every-day (as God clearly intended, or something), like they do in every other civilized industrialized nation on Earth.
USinUK
October 8th, 2010
8:13 am
“we can’t possibly afford to fund mass transit adequately as an alternative to getting-in-your-car-alone-and-driving-the-same-route-to-work-every-day ”
… on our way to the airport on the VERY crowded I-75, I suggested we get into the HOV lane to speed our journey – the mister looked at the teeming mass of humanity on the freeway and asked “wait – are you telling me that all these cars only have ONE person in them???”
TaxPayer
October 8th, 2010
8:14 am
It’s all a clever plot by the Republicans to get us to drive less. Who would have ever thought that Republicans were in favor of that kind of conservatism. Works for me. Besides,we all know that things are not really bad here in Georgia until folks start complaining about their 4WDs getting stuck.
stands for decibels
October 8th, 2010
8:19 am
“wait – are you telling me that all these cars only have ONE person in them???”
Embarrassing, isn’t it?
bbl…
Normal
October 8th, 2010
8:20 am
Government is the ememy until you need a friend…
Bill Cowen (R)
USinUK
October 8th, 2010
8:24 am
Normal –
a great quote for so many situations:
Trial Lawyers are the enemy until you need a friend…
Cops are the enemy until you need a friend…
Teachers are the enemy until you need a friend…
… so many of the favorite bugaboos fit that particular bill …
El Jefe
October 8th, 2010
8:24 am
I wonder what would happen if everyone took the Cruse Card lane and refused to pay? Could they handle hundreds of thousands of citations a month?
What would the backup in processing be?
How would they then react to the civil disobedience?
USinUK
October 8th, 2010
8:30 am
“I wonder what would happen if everyone took the Cruse Card lane and refused to pay?”
let’s see … $0.50 or $25 … hmmmmm … that’s a tough one …
the state would be laughing all the way to the bank if everyone tried this particular “civil disobedience”
Peadawg
October 8th, 2010
8:30 am
Good thing I live in Athens…
Gale
October 8th, 2010
8:32 am
I would be ok with raising the gas tax to fund transportation projects other than more roads. More roads is not the answer to Atlanta’s transportation problem. The problem with raising the gas tax is exactly what Jay reminded us of; politicians will find ways to play with the money without solving the problem.
El Jefe
October 8th, 2010
8:43 am
USinUK,
Like any bureaucracy, it runs slowly, clumsily and without any finesse. A massive wave of citations would bring it to its knees. Before it could process the first batch, the second and third would hit it.
This is the weakness of any government agency, remember the mess the Georgia IRS was in and that was only one deluge a year.
AmVet
October 8th, 2010
8:44 am
Though some of the faithful here will always “apologize” for these people and these horrendous decisions, by immediately chowing down on their red herring breakfast, it is widely known that the “new” but not improved, GOP-led government in Atlanta is for the most part, as incompetent and corrupt as ever and is as bad as their counter-parts in Washington.
Pray for Rain was an ineffective embarrassment, to the Republican Party, to the people of Georgia and to all Americans. And Nathan Deal is a tragic joke who could not get elected dog catcher in more moderate states. But, it is virtually guaranteed that his serial corruption will not hurt him at all here and that he will be elected as Flag-Boy’s replacement by a wide margin. (States Rights!!!)
The incidents cited above by JB are mere confirmation:
“…unaccountable to the people, and is designed to be.”
“…but SRTA could — and did — take its vote without real regard to public input.”
“…the state Transportation Board — another public entity with no direct accountability to the public — voted to reverse a 2005 pledge to the people…”
Imperious and unaccountable, just the way the cons like it.
“The United States can’t compete successfully in the 21st century with a 20th century transportation infrastructure…”
And Georgia can’t compete successfully in 21st century America with 19th century leadership.
But by all means, be a good conservative and vote for the Crooked Deal…
Bubba Bob
October 8th, 2010
8:44 am
I only lived in Atlanta 8 years but I think it needs better train covergae. I refuse to ride the bus everywhere.
Also, it would be great if there were some express type trains to bring people into the city from the rural/suburbs. Especially to the airport.
Normal
October 8th, 2010
8:44 am
Peadawg,
Glad you’re here. I saw, in a previous post, that you said you were eight years old in ‘93, is that right? If so, I thought you were much older than that. Anyway if it’s true, I can’t call you Peadawg any more…you’ll just have to answer to “Sproutpuppy”…
Scout
October 8th, 2010
8:45 am
Two points:
1) I hope somone is taking this to court.
2) Reminds me of reading about the time that Congress almost voted to prohibit railway steam engines because it was costing wagon wheel makers their jobs.
USinUK
October 8th, 2010
8:45 am
El Jefe – “Like any bureaucracy, it runs slowly, clumsily and without any finesse.”
dude.
ever heard of a computer?
do you honestly think there is a PERSON (or persons) going through those tag-ID videos to ticket you???
Bubba Bob
October 8th, 2010
8:46 am
AmVet,
I give you that Deal is not all that great but….do you really think Barnes is that much better?
The real problem is that neither side has very many viable candidates.
El Jefe
October 8th, 2010
8:46 am
November 2010 Contracts for gasoline, is $2.10 a gallon. That means we add about 40-50 cents in Georgia for state and federal taxes.
I am sure the loonies would not mind paying more.
StJ
October 8th, 2010
8:47 am
Raise the gas tax to ensure a price floor of $4.00 a gallon and adjust for inflation thereafter. The money flows directly into the state treasury and is therefore controlled by elected officials answerable to the voters. Problem solved.
“…the public is being herded into grudging acceptance of policies that, given an open debate, it would probably reject out of hand.” You mean, like Obamacare? Say it ain’t so!
Southern Comfort
October 8th, 2010
8:52 am
G’morning all, afternoon UnU
If the gas tax was pegged to the price of gas vs a flat amount, things could get done. However, we would need elected officials that actually gave a damn about things like infrastructure first.
tommytwotone
October 8th, 2010
8:53 am
The 2nd amendment makes elected officials answerable to the voters. No need for four dollar gas.
Cut spending by 80% and start publicly tarring and feathering the government mouthbreathers (and their private citizen cheerleaders) and we’ll get some real change going.
Lewis
October 8th, 2010
8:53 am
You write: “If they get crowded and traffic flow begins to slow, tolls will automatically rise to discourage drivers from using them.” Actually what will happen is that only the wealthiest will be able to get where they are going on time, usually during rush hours. This is true although all people try to arrive on schedule, especially those in lower paid jobs where bosses often are far less understanding about late arrivals.
barking frog
October 8th, 2010
8:53 am
No one is forced to use a toll road. If it is not worth the
money, use another road. Here they are mainly considering
lanes on the same highway. Voluntary taxation. Good
concept.
Doggone/GA
October 8th, 2010
8:58 am
I’m not sure I see the relationship between the cost of gas and how much we pay in gas taxes. I would think the important stat is how many miles we drive, not how much it costs for the gas to drive those miles…but anyway, I’m finding this all a bit on the amusing side. I refuse to drive on the 400 toll section – and will refuse to drive in the toll lanes. So they can raise the tolls all they want, it won’t cost me a penny.
barking frog
October 8th, 2010
8:59 am
China has weeks long traffic jams yet they a higher % of GDP
than US on infrastructure. Must not be on roads.
Doggone/GA
October 8th, 2010
9:00 am
“You mean, like Obamacare? Say it ain’t so!”
Nope, nothing like the CongressCare. That bill was passed AND signed by duly elected representatives..not a largely unelected board.
AmVet
October 8th, 2010
9:00 am
“I give you that Deal is not all that great but…”
Let me help you rephrase that.
He is a colossal crook and far right wing nutjob.
He is so capricious he was first a Democrat, but then when the avalanche of defectors kicked in, courtesy of Newt the Nut, voila! He’s a Republican. (BTW, did anyone besides me find it absolutely hysterical when someone yesterday wrote, “So a few southern Democrats switched parties…?)
But much worse, he was at first a moderate but guess what happened when he defected? He veered HARD right.
The cad is such a sad sack that he wants to pollute the most sacred document ever written – the United States Constitution – by eliminating the 14th Amendment!
And regarding his serial crooked “deals” he is the very antithesis of ethics in government.
His record proves that he is fiscally irresponsible and morally bankrupt.
And out of the hundreds and hundreds of crooks in Washington, he is near the very top.
Does that help?
I’ll do some research on Barnes as well, but it really won’t matter much, as I’m almost certainly not voting for him either…
Doggone/GA
October 8th, 2010
9:02 am
“Here they are mainly considering lanes on the same highway”
That have already been bought and paid for with OUR tax money, but now they’re going to “tax” us AGAIN for them. Or, to put it more exactly, they’re going to ensure that only those who can afford to use them are ALLOWED to use them. Nevermind that we ALL have paid for them already.
TaxPayer
October 8th, 2010
9:03 am
People alter their behavior, in general, based on the applied stimuli. Always have, always will. I see we took another 95,000 people off the roads in September so that should help some more with congestion.
DifferentDrummer
October 8th, 2010
9:04 am
Bubba Bob–”…do you really think Barnes is that much better?”
Immensely better! At least Barnes can fully comply with financial disclosure requirements. Deal’s got some nerve ending his TV ads with “He’ll get it right…the first time.” Really, like his financial disclosure statements which he didn’t get right the first, second or third times he filed and re-filed them?
Barnes did more good as Governor than bad. Unlike Deal who will hide from important issues, Barnes changed our shameful state flag and took on the education establishmnet in this state which was quite willing to keep Georgia’s educational perfomance at the bottom of the list of states. (Remember Republican School Superintendent Linda Shrencko? She ran education in this state during Barnes’s term as Governor, before she was indicted, convicted and imprisoned for stealing federal grant money.)
Finally, he’s better than Deal because he has a vision of what this state is losing everyday by not taking on important issues that would make Georgia a leader in many areas of commerce. He had transportaion and water reservoir/conservation plans which Sonny refused to implement. And look what Sonny’s 8 years of so-called “governance’ gave us.
Nice Guy
October 8th, 2010
9:13 am
AmVet – “But by all means, be a good conservative and vote for the Crooked Deal…”
(Yawn). So tiring….
DifferentDrummer
October 8th, 2010
9:15 am
Doggone/GA
October 8th, 2010
9:02 am
“Here they are mainly considering lanes on the same highway”
“That have already been bought and paid for with OUR tax money, but now they’re going to “tax” us AGAIN for them. Or, to put it more exactly, they’re going to ensure that only those who can afford to use them are ALLOWED to use them. Nevermind that we ALL have paid for them already.”
What are you complaining about, Doggone/GA? These are the guys y’all have repeatedly elected for the last 8 tyears — a Republican-controlled state government. They control the legislature and the Governor’;s Office and have appointed person to bioards and commissions who do THEIR, not YOUR bidding. Got complaints? Take it with them. You think they care what you think? they don’t because they know that voters in this state are too stupid to figure out who to hold responsible. Can’t hold the Democrats responsible for this one, though.
So, go ahead and elect Nathan Deal as this great state’s next Governor, and watch the corruption continue.
Nice Guy
October 8th, 2010
9:16 am
Doggone – “Or, to put it more exactly, they’re going to ensure that only those who can afford to use them are ALLOWED to use them. Nevermind that we ALL have paid for them already.”
Or, to put it in more realistic terms, they are trying to deter tax payer (us) behavior (driving on roads) by placing a tax on the act of driving on the roads. Once again, it is clear what taxes do….they discourage behavior. Get it? Good. Don’t forget it.
Matti
October 8th, 2010
9:17 am
AmVet,
But Deal has an “R” by his name now! That means he loves little fetuses and church and hard work (except for his own kids, whose entitlement mentality he feeds with loans the family can’t afford so they won’t have to work hard to own a business), war, borrowing money from China to pay for tax cuts, and an unregulated free-market where good ol’ boys can pull each other’s bootstraps up behind closed doors. More importantly, Deal hates all the right things to hate, like Demoncraps, Roybama, allowing poor people access to medical care, and rules that apply equally across the population.
Therefore, the good voters of Georgia don’t need your stinkin’ FACTS, AmVet! He’s got an “R” and they know exactly what that means: Nathan Deal is not a witch. He’s THEM.
Doggone/GA
October 8th, 2010
9:19 am
“What are you complaining about, Doggone/GA? These are the guys y’all have repeatedly elected for the last 8 tyears”
You’re making an assumption about me that has no basis in reality. See if you can figure that out.
Paulo977
October 8th, 2010
9:21 am
USinUK
Off topic ..So how is ol’Dave working in the ‘people’s interest’ these days?!!!
Kamchak
October 8th, 2010
9:21 am
…a great quote for so many situations:
Man U is always the enemy.
Welcome back USinUK
Nice Guy
October 8th, 2010
9:24 am
“Welcome back USinUK”
And the butt patting continues. Geez…between yesterday and today, you’d think this guy was a ’sort-of-a-god.’
Peter
October 8th, 2010
9:24 am
Them Republican’s always looking to do the “right Thing” and listen to the people !
AmVet
October 8th, 2010
9:25 am
It’s encouraging and funny that some of the more bored here no longer even feign engaging in adult, cogent discourse. Which is a wonderful thing.
Matti, occasionally some far right wing loon on these blogs posits the old Jim Crow mentality of barring certain otherwise eligible members of the citizenry from voting.
And ironically as blind and lockstep as the new GOP often requires its adherents to be – think Purity Tests – they might as well just modify that mentality to barring otherwise eligible members of the citizenry from voting for non-Republicans.
Gawd knows they won that propaganda war in the Deep South long ago…
Gale
October 8th, 2010
9:25 am
Gee Taxpayer. Now I have to wonder how bad traffic would be without a recession. With all the job losses, I have not seen any traffic improvement at all. What are the unemployeed doing? Driving to the mall every day?
Kamchak
October 8th, 2010
9:25 am
Geez…between yesterday and today, you’d think this guy was a ’sort-of-a-god.
There’s your sign.