Transportation Commissioner Butch Eley is requesting that legislators consider allowing his department to do some research into the possibility of toll lanes in the state. This request comes as the funding needed to complete highway maintenance continues to exceed the amount of revenue the state has for those repairs.
At a Wednesday news conference, Eley said there were three options for generating the necessary funds without incurring additional debt or having to raise fuel taxes. Those options included the implementation of cost savings in the department’s construction process, raising fees for electric vehicles, or looking into toll lanes.
“All we’re doing here is asking for the ability to look at this as an option,” Eley stated. “Right now, we can’t do what other states around the country are doing as it relates to public-private partnerships.”
Toll roads have become a common way for states across the nation to generate revenue while also alleviating high traffic congestion. Those are most often found around larger cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
