Taking the High Road to Funding

The need for increased highway funding in the U.S. is becoming more critical. Building even the simplest roads can cost millions of dollars/mile, and federal highway funds barely cover the cost of maintaining existing roads. Meanwhile, voters generally do not support higher state taxes, and Congress is not interested in raising the federal fuel tax, which has funded most state highway projects in the past. State highway construction projects are now in a battle over funding. This article discusses how this struggle has spurred some states to look at toll roads as one possible solution, with the central feature being the debate over the value of tolling as a means of paying for highways in an age of revenue shortfalls.