Would Rhode Island’s ‘Trucks Only’ Toll Ever Work in Connecticut?
In the News Times this morning (August 6) there is a retelling of a conversation between a local commuter advocate, Jim Cameron, and an unnamed Connecticut Mayor. The piece centers around how to alleviate congestion on CT highways due in large part to tractor trailers. The unnamed mayor wanted to ban tractor trailers during rush hour, and who could blame him/her?
Once it was established that it probably wouldn't work, the "Rhode Island plan" came up. Rhode Island, according to the article, has adopted a "truck only" toll for rush hour, which in its first month has brought in $625,000.
Like most people who don't drive a tractor trailer, I am annoyed by them. Furthermore, I see them as a danger to you and I when traveling at high speeds. They are also really obnoxious in bumper-to-bumper traffic. While trying to find a way to make things more convenient for the rest of us, however, the affect a trucks-only toll would have on the bottom line of the businesses that tractor-trailers serve has got to be a concern. It's all fun and games to say just hit them with a toll (fine) for traveling at certain times. That's awesome if you don't own a trucking business.
What I am really saying is that every plan sounds great if it helps me, and the "other guy" be damned. To his credit, the author of that article, Jim Cameron, made this same exact point and even went a little further saying, "The solution to our traffic is not to blame others, but to look in the mirror."
Do you have a plan to reduce congestion on Connecticut highways? I want hear it, no matter how crazy it is. In fact, I encourage "crazy" ideas. They are usually the ones that end up making sense in the end.
P.S. - I know I said, "To his credit, the author, Jim Cameron made this same point." Yes, I understand and recognize that I usually ONLY give credit when someone agrees with me.
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