Some initiative for an individual to pay a toll rather than to use a free road is because the toll roads are well kept while free roads are left to deteriorate over time and cause problems for the driver. Tolls make for a faster route and typically also have a nicer view, among other things, for example, tolls help pay for the upkeep of a bridge over the water. A more efficient way to pay for tolls is the use of an E-Z Passes that take a discounted amount out of a debit card automatically when passing through a toll. There are some ideas about how to pay for highways other than tolls and taxes. The money needs to come from somewhere else if not from tolls. It just depends on what people are willing to compromise on. Some alternatives to the tolls include raising the taxes in other areas such as sales, gas, and income tax. Another idea is to reduce the budget from other projects and/or companies. Toll roads can be friendlier to the environment because they allow space to occur between each driver. Allowing drivers to maintain a steady speed will prevent traffic and the extra fuel used to sit/maneuver through traffic. Tolls also reduce driving time by paying a fee to take a shortcut to their destination. Berritt claims that if the roads are not well taken care of then businesses will move their companies elsewhere to make for easier transportation (Berritt, 2019). If this is true, then there will be many more problems for the economy. Either way, it amazes me how such a small thing can make a big difference.

References

Berritt, G. (2019, September 9).You think tolls are bad? here are your alternatives.courant.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022, fromhttps://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-gail-berritt-tolls-alternatives-tk-20190908-b3mgcjrbivfvpp3zy73kkdc4yq-story.html

March, J. (2005).The future of highway financing. The Future of Highway Financing | FHWA. Retrieved January 25, 2022, fromhttps://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/novemberdecember-2005/future-highway-financing

Do you agree with the above context? If so why or why not? What do you think we could do to make tolls a more efficient means to traveling?