An excellent editorial in the June 28, 2011 Hartford Courant strikes at the heart of the myth that highways are self-supporting and not subsidized and therefor other forms of transportation are should pay their own way too.
The editorial notes that since 1947, the amount of money spent on highways, roads and streets has exceeded the amount raised through gasoline taxes and other so-called user fees by $600 billion. Today, highway user fees pay only about half the cost of building and maintaining the nation's network of highways, roads and streets. ... At some point very soon, someone in a leadership position is going to have to deliver the bad news about the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the fact that there is no such thing as a freeway. Then perhaps we can analyze what the system really costs and how we intend to pay for it.The full editorial is worth a read. See http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-transportation-costs-0628-20110628-5,0,3838620.story#tugs_story_display.
The editorial notes that since 1947, the amount of money spent on highways, roads and streets has exceeded the amount raised through gasoline taxes and other so-called user fees by $600 billion. Today, highway user fees pay only about half the cost of building and maintaining the nation's network of highways, roads and streets. ... At some point very soon, someone in a leadership position is going to have to deliver the bad news about the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the fact that there is no such thing as a freeway. Then perhaps we can analyze what the system really costs and how we intend to pay for it.The full editorial is worth a read. See http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-transportation-costs-0628-20110628-5,0,3838620.story#tugs_story_display.
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