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Rhode Island Truckers Square Off Against Truck-Only Toll Plan

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The Rhode Island Trucking Association has threatened to bring their fight to the courts if lawmakers decide to embrace a proposal that would increase tolls on commercial vehicles.

Gov. Gina Raimondo is in need of hundreds of millions of dollars in order to keep Rhode Island’s roads and bridges from crumbling — and she feels that because truckers are doing the most damage to the roads, they should be the ones to foot the bill.

The RITA pointed out several problems with the Raimondo’s plan — including her math about how much truck traffic Rhode Island roads actually see. Data from the American Transportation Research Institute backs up the RITA’s claim that Raimondo’s numbers don’t add up.

The issue goes beyond simply paying more for tolls. The Rhode Island Trucking Association says that truck-only tolls set a dangerous precedent: “There are no other states in the country tolling trucks only. It’s a benchmark issue.”

The RITA has created a counter plan as an alternative to truck-only tolling legislation:

–Increase diesel tax by $0.18.

–Increase the truck registration fee by $500 per year.

–Get rid of proposed tax credits and redirect the $13.5 million to bridge and road repairs.
Sources:
Providence Journal
Turn to 10 News
Rhode Island Public Radio
Go Local Providence

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