2/10/2005

AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO OWN THE ROAD

My latest wild idea: sell the Interstate highway system to the highest bidder.

Pluses:

  • Huge influx of cash
  • No more tax dollars for maintenance
  • Tolls may (may) discourage suburban sprawl
  • Reduced highway trips = lower emissions
  • Free alternative roads do exist everyplace

Minuses:

  • As usual, tolls are a regressive tax
  • Roads may not be maintained to the highest standards
  • Private authorities wouldn’t have the power of eminent domain, so needed expansions would be very expensive
  • Increase in price of consumer goods shipped by truck
  • Accelerates the creation of a two-class society

So I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not. What do you think?

Posted by Mark @ 2:28 pm | | Permalink
This post is filed under: Politics

4 Comments

  1. The highway system is a natural monopoly. You could do a USPS-style quasi-privatization, but in the end, one organization needs to control all of the interstates. Why, you ask? Think of the inefficiency if every time you get on or off at an exit you have to stop to pay a toll - twice if you’re going from highway to highway.

    Plus, the things you mention below - regressive taxes and a two-tier society - are far worse than any temporary influx of cash.

    Comment by Dave — 2/10/2005 @ 9:39 pm

  2. A very good idea….btw - a toll on a private road is not a tax any more than Starbucks’ higher price for a cup of coffee is a tax. Those that want to pay, will.

    And you’ve driven on toll roads in Illinois - can a private owner do any worse in terms of maintenance? And is it really necessary to have *5* toll booths between Wisconsin and Chicago?

    What would be interesting, is if private roads could have higher speed limits - if so, then shipping costs might actually decline.

    Comment by Jon — 2/11/2005 @ 10:15 am

  3. TOLLS AREN’T REGRESSIVE DAMMIT. The truly poor DON’T DRIVE FROM CITY TO CITY.

    And you forgot to mention that most goods shipped by truck would, today, be shipped by freight rail if it weren’t so unnaturally cheap to do it by truck. (Most things moved by truck aren’t time-sensitive, in other words).

    Comment by M1EK — 2/11/2005 @ 10:33 am

  4. Let’s see…no eminent domain, free alternatives everywhere, toll booths would have to be installed and staffed across the country, I’d be on the hook for maintenance….

    How much are they going to pay me to take the interstate system off of their hands????

    Comment by Jon — 2/11/2005 @ 11:04 am

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