Why are tolls a popular source of revenue




















They are advantageous in that they produce sufficient revenues; their administrative capacity exists in other toll facilities or can be created; they are efficient, well accepted by the public, and equitable to users.

Tolls, however, are also difficult to adjust for inflation; the facilities they fund must be noticeably better than nontoll facilities for public acceptance, which is critical; and their operation and management must be efficient.

Their revenue and cost conditions are uncertain and their opportunities for application, relatively few. Federal funds are severely restricted in toll projects, and state legislative approval is needed. Motor fuel taxes, taxes assessed locally in addition to traditional federal and state taxes, provide a reliable stream of revenue, have good revenue potential, are a mechanism for collecting tax; they have high collection efficiency and are equitable to users.

Please upgrade your browser. See next articles. The Opinion Pages. Resist the Temptation to Divert Toll Revenue. You Pay the Toll. Where Should That Money Go? Read More ».

As such, they are generally considered to be serial bonds. With a serial bond, part of the outstanding debt matures at certain dates until the bond is fully matured by the end date. Not all bonds are created equally. As noted above, revenue bonds, including toll revenue bonds, come with greater risk because they're not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing government entity. These bonds aren't really that popular among investors, even though nearly two-thirds of the bonds on the market are revenue bonds.

Like other revenue bonds, toll revenue bonds are not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing government entity. General obligation bonds, on the other hand, are among the most common in investor portfolios.

People who hold these bonds are guaranteed repayment, as the government has the power to tax its citizens to raise revenue. Money raised from the sale of bonds, though, regardless of the type, can be used to provide funding for different projects, such as infrastructure.

Those that are issued by government entities, whether local, state, or federal, are normally exempt from income taxes at the federal level.

Bonds provide investors with a safe and secure form of investment, especially when combined with a variety of different securities, such as stocks, exchange-traded funds ETFs , mutual funds , and cash accounts, among others. Investors can use toll revenue bonds specifically to diversify their fixed-income holdings. Many municipal-bond mutual funds, for example, sprinkle in toll revenue bonds that offer good risk versus reward.

Some taxpayers see toll revenue bonds as an inefficient funding means, however. The Pennsylvania Turnpike originally planned to retire all its debt in , once it repaid bonds used for construction.

However, the Turnpike continues to collect tolls to this day. The state's turnpike system added a few additional roads. But one reason for the continued fees along the main span, critics argue, is that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the white-collar jobs it created, would cease to exist if the debt was ever fully paid. Charles Schwab. Securities and Exchange Commission. Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Morning Call. William Keisling.

Finra Exams. There are only toll roads and tax-supported roads. The main difference is that you only pay for a toll road when you choose to drive on it, while all taxpayers contribute to tax-supported roadways, even the ones they never use. Tolls also allow us to reinvest in our region. When a project is complete, the toll revenue collected stays local, covering routine maintenance of the new facility, as well as future infrastructure expansion. Any public funding we do receive for a toll project, such as grants or government loans, helps pay for the non-tolled elements which include expanded and upgraded non-tolled lanes, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and trailheads.

We use all-electronic tolling, meaning tolls are collected without drivers having to stop, slow down or stay in a given lane. In response to user feedback, we recently revamped our toll bills and redesigned our website, and are constantly looking for new ways to improve the user experience.

Click here for more information about paying your tolls. We often encounter the question of who decides which roads are tolled, and which ones are non-tolled. These plans identify priority projects, and determine funding plans based on available financing.

No entity can build roads that are not a part of the regional plan. And before any dirt is turned or a single blade of grass is disturbed, we conduct robust environmental studies to evaluate the effects of a potential project on the human and natural environment. We know that communities make projects better. As such, we proactively seek out feedback in order to learn the needs and expectations of the public before breaking ground.



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