Friday, October 28, 2005

Vote Yes for Private Roads

From each according to their needs

Today bids are due to for the big toll road between Washington DC and the Northern Virginia suburbs, the road also goes to the region's cheapest international airport Dulles International. The expected bids are around $6 billion.

This is all good. There should be more private roads. Why should people who dont drive pay for those that do? Sure everyone uses Dulles International when they take the family on the big holiday to Europe or Asia. But others use it everyday to get from their suburban home to their office job in DC or for their frequent business or diplomatic trips abroad. By charging tolls on a per trip basis instead of a general tax as part of the county and/or state budgets the costs and benefits of the roads are more accurately distributed. Kudos to the progressive (most of the time) Commonwealth of Virginia for its road funding innovations.

Lets see more of it, how about the US interstate highways, which would be a logical step in the right direction of getting rid of the US Department of Transportation, the biggest pork barrel trough we have.