That simply assumes the system is like yours, from experience the fastrack is anything but heavy on verifying things. People loan out the transponders all the time or swap them into a friends car to make it to a game because traffic is heavy. They really only flag people if they have something blocking the signal or if the transponder is dead, otherwise it's go go go all you want.

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I am in San Francisco region, and i never bother to take my fasttrack out of my glovebox, because i know that my account will be credited through my licence plate, and if there is a problem i just have to call fasttrack and they will charge it like normal and remove the 50 dollar charge that they send me for not stopping.

It is much better to drive safely and carefully through the booth than start digging around glovebox so that their system works better.

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actually toll roads are wonderful - they remove the burden from the tax payer for maintenance and put it where it belongs, the user.

Why should a trucking company based in another state get to ruin your roads for free?

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Uhh, because alot of the roads are funded by the federal government?

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in the east (at least), very few toll roads are funded by the federal government.

The one exception is 95 where many of the funds are contributed by the feds but the bulk of the money comes from the tolls implemented by the states.

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1. If you love regressive taxation then yeah, toll roads are awesome.

2. The people that convinced you that toll roads are great have a vested interest in seeing toll roads made. The gov'ts already receiving highway funds get to keep that money and the private companies make a killing.

Where does it end?

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@Paul:

Not when they stop building public highways around you, and your only choice to get to work (taking any sort of reasonable route) is to take a toll road there. Then they have a monopoly, and they do what monopolies do: gouge you. The fees that toll roads charge are absurd, and they're extremely profitable.

I'm all for moving some things to the private sector, but the national road system should stay public. The only way to promote competition with a private road system is to build parallel roads everywhere, run by competing companies, and that's obviously not an efficient solution.

The fair alternative to general taxation would be to make roads paid for exclusively by gas taxes. Then the users are the sole taxpayers, and you only pay for what you use (unless you like to stockpile gasoline).

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Also @Paul...

I'd be willing to bet that the "trucking company based in another state" is either hauling goods away from a company that creates jobs in your neighborhood, or is bringing in goods that people in your neighborhood need/want. That's the whole point of the roads, to promote trade and travel.

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Paul,

You are incorrect about trucks from other states driving on your roads for free. The "International Fuel Tax Agreement" IFTA now ensures that all fuel taxes are paid to the state where the miles are driven not where the fuel is purchased.

Prior to IFTA a truck had to purchase a fuel tax sticker for each state the truck drove in to make sure the state received its gas tax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fuel_Tax_Agreement

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@Paul

"I'd be willing to bet that the "trucking company based in another state" is either hauling goods away from a company that creates jobs in your neighborhood, or is bringing in goods that people in your neighborhood need/want."

Tell that to the people of Nebraska

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you replied to the wrong comments I think Natural Selection.

If you are referring to PA you are actually very misinformed(you may be referring to another state but I doubt it). The turnpike was started during the depression and was 100% paid for with Bonds that were paid back based on tolls. Since then the tolls have gone to upkeep and expansion and there has been only minimal taxpayer investment for the payment of the salaries of those that work it.

If the lease of the turnpike goes through then the State will be paid 12.8 billion dollars that could generate (on the LOW end) 360 million dollars in interest for use in the general fund.

Its really a great plan for the taxpayers (and motorists!) of Pennsylvania.

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Actually my tax dollars built that road then my local government sold it for a tiny fraction of what it cost to build to a foreign investor.

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