Tolls that pay
Revenues from the gasoline tax — which was developed between the 1920s and 1950s to fund road construction and maintenance — have dropped because of more fuel-efficient vehicles, but the need for new roads and highways continues to grow every year. Interest in alternative financial mechanisms, such as tolls and long-term leases, has grown as a possible way to make up the funding difference.
$
168
billion is the amount that traffic congestion costs Americans each year.
$
31 billion
is the amount of annual federal aid for highways.
$
7.3 billion
is collected annually from tolls or fees for use of specific roads.
$
1,199
is the amount of money spent annually per U.S. household to construct and operate roads.
SOURCE: “Policy Study 359: The Roll of Tolls in Financing 21st Century Highways,” Reason Foundation, May 2007.