Americans willing to pay tolls for better roads, interstates

Americans willing to pay tolls for better roads, interstates

More than three in four Americans would support paying a toll if it resulted in a safer, congestion-free and more reliable trip, according to a poll by infrastructure firm HNTB Corp.

Even putting tolls on existing interstates, which traditionally donêt have tolls, is backed by 78 percent of Americans if the funds went solely toward improving that particular interstate. Earlier in the summer, the Obama administration proposed a new federal transportation authorization, the Grow America Act, which would allow the Transportation Secretary to grant states a waiver from the prohibition on tolling segments of interstate highways.

–Inflation, improved fuel economy, changing driving habits and rising construction costs have eaten away at the purchasing power of federal and state gas taxes,” said HNTB senior vice president Jim Ely.

Quality of pavement, ease of access, reliable travel time and clear signage are high priorities for regular users of interstates, the poll found.