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the idea is that an enterprising private company can manage costs and deliver services at a lower cost than a Gov run one. Not really sure i 100% agree, but I
by senectus1 9y ago
the idea is that an enterprising private company can manage costs and deliver services at a lower cost than a Gov run one.
Not really sure i 100% agree, but I suspect that oversite would be better with a Gov run Toll
- taeric 9y agoThat idea sounds fine, absent all of the evidence I've heard of where the vast majority of the toll money is going outside of the city where the toll road is. I suppose taxes aren't much different, in that most go somewhere else. But, at least with taxes you can see a money stream back to the city and argue it up. With it going to a private company, you are sorta screwed.
- u801e 9y agoExcept for the fact that the cost of collecting tolls exceeds the cost of collecting a tax on fuel [1] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13817279 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13817279
- Steltek 9y agoTolls achive more than just crudely approximating a car's impact to the road system. Tolls can influence traffic behavior and congestion; which I'd guess is the point of that LA article. Also, I'm curious how those costs look when you have open road tolling, as recently implemented in Massachusetts. No toll takers, just cameras, computers, and a call center "somewhere".
- u801e 9y agoThere's also the cost of setting up and maintaining system that doesn't apply to fuel tax collection (since it's already in place).
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago> Tolls can influence traffic behavior and congestion That's more like "give poor people a reason not to drive on certain roads/lanes" if you take the glass half empty view of things.