Tolls for thee?

Up to 84% of Americans believe tolls should be considered to fund the country’s highway infrastructure needs, according to a new survey from HNTB Corp.

A strong majority of Americans (84%) feel tolls should be considered project-by-project or as a primary source of transportation revenue. Only a small minority (16%) say tolls should never be used.

HNTB’s America THINKS survey polled a random nationwide sample of 1,005 Americans between June 25 and July 1, 2010. It was conducted by Kelton Research, which used an e-mail invitation and online survey. HNTB is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving federal, state, municipal, military and private clients.

"Decades of underinvestment have left the U.S. transportation system in a losing battle against time, population growth, weather and wear," Jack Finn, HNTB national director of toll services, said in a statement. "There is no such thing as a free road. Tolling is a proven source of alternative funding, already used in a variety of locations across the country. Its primary appeal — as a user fee — means those who use the road pay for the road."

Fuel taxes have been the primary source of transportation revenue at the state and federal level since the inception of the Interstate Highway System. The federal gas tax, now set at 18.4 cents per gallon, was last increased in 1993. A combination of inflation, changing driving habits — due in part to higher gas prices — and better fuel economy in modern automobiles has robbed the tax of much of its purchasing power.

While the Highway Trust Fund is nearly broke — needing infusions from the general treasury totaling more than $15 billion during the last two years – increasing the gas tax has been a political non-starter.

SURVEY FINDINGS
• When given a choice between new roads funded by an increased gas tax, by new tolls or no new roads at all, Americans prefer tolls (41%) or no new roads at all (41%) over increased gas taxes (18%).

• Asked where they would be willing to spend more money to support long-term transportation improvements in their area, Americans ranked tolling ahead of other options, with nearly four in 10 (39%) choosing additional road and bridge tolls versus additional public transportation fees (29%), vehicle registration fees (23%), sales taxes (20%), gas taxes (18%), income taxes (11%) or property taxes (9%).

• Most Americans would support tolls that fund improvements for either the road on which it’s paid (53%) or other existing roadways (45%). Far fewer (18%) would want these toll revenues to be devoted to new construction.

• More than two in three (68%) Americans don’t really think about tolls without considering convenience — they would be willing to pay a higher toll fare if it saved them time on the road.

• 76% of Americans who drive on roads and bridges with tolls say they are satisfied with most of the tolling systems they use. But despite this general satisfaction, 61% of drivers admit they have purposely avoided a road or bridge with tolls at least once.

• And for nearly three in five (57%) Americans, the future of tolling would ideally be a combination of cash and electronic collection on local roads and bridges.