A conversation with tolling proponent Baruch Feigenbaum, Reason Foundation

Why does a foundation promoting libertarian ideas support tolling for transportation infrastructure funding? Feigenbaum expands on his commentary supporting Michigan’s tolling study and also talks about:

https://reason.org/commentary/michigan-moves-to-study-interstate-tolling-as-way-to-improve-highways/

- The value of being able to travel freely on a road whenever you choose, not just the use but options created by perpetual availability. Who is benefitting and should pay for it - just the person on the road or also the person or business at the destination?

- The enthusiasm for tolling in Texas and other states 10 to 15 years ago has waned. Should we expect renewed interest?

- Feigenbaum’s belief that tolling is less regressive than fuel or sales taxes and models that design for social equity.

- How we arrived at this point. The challenge of raising revenue even for something as essential to our economy as roads in a climate where lawmakers take anti-tax pledges.

- Feigenbaum’s observations about modern technology and how it has reduced the cost of tolling infrastructure. The cost of toll collection, once as high as 25 percent of revenue in the 20th century, is now less than 10 percent on tolled facilities. Most experts believe that as tolling and technology continue to improve, the overall cost of collection will decline to less than 5 percent, roughly equivalent to the gas tax.

Other relevant links:

A 2019 Epic-MRA poll of Michigan voter views on tolling.
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/MDOT_Fees_EpicPoll_669728_7.pdf

Some things the study will cover, including managed lanes and how they work. https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/managelanes_primer/

Why Michigan doesn’t have tolling. Some history.
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/MDOT_Toll_Roads_Brochure_548788_7.pdf