Yesterday it was announced that the Federal Highway Administration signed off on Rhode Island’s controversial plan to toll only truck drivers to help fund repairs on the state’s infrastructure.
Raimondo: Trucks Do 90% Of Damage To Infrastructure
Rhode Island Governor Raimondo’s justification for the truck-only toll is a claim that heavy trucks do 90 percent of the damage to her state’s bridges and highways. Thirty four of Rhode Island’s bridges are listed as deficient.
The truck-only toll plan, dubbed “RhodeWorks”, will allow Rhode Island to toll truckers at 13 different locations throughout the state. With the approval of the FHA, Rhode Island will be allowed to charge truckers up to $20 to cross the state via I-95.
RhodeWorks is expected to generate $45 million in revenue per year and could be fully operational as early as 2018.
Rhode Island Truckers Prepare For A Fight
Chris Maxwell of the Rhode Island Trucking Association says that trucking will not accept this ruling without a fight: “There will be lawsuits filed. There will be challenges from multiple entities on several fronts.”
Other members of the trucking community say that they might boycott Rhode Island altogether: “In the end, we control your supply chain, and you don’t screw with your supply chain.”
Rhode Island is the first state in the nation to implement truck-only tolls.
Sources:
The Providence Journal
Turn To 10
WPRO