Tolls on Interstate 81

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Updated: 3:44 PM Feb 4, 2008 Tolls on Interstate 81 Richmond,Va. The Virginia Senate moved one step closer this week to banning VDOT from imposing tolls on car and truck traffic on Interstate 81 without the General Assembly's green light. Posted: 12:07 AM Feb 2, 2008

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The Virginia Senate moved one step closer this week to banning VDOT from imposing tolls on car and truck traffic on Interstate 81 without the General Assembly's green light.

The bill was introduced by Senator Mark Obenshain. He says he is encouraged by the Senate Transportation Committee's decision.

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Posted by: Don Location: Waynesboro on Feb 2, 2008 at 07:01 PM

One question for Sen Obenshain - if tolls aren't imposed how do you propose the state pay for the improvements so badly needed to make I-81 safer? I know, we'll raise the gas tax a nickel and pay for everything we need. Come on guys lets have some constructive ideas on how we can pay for what we need. One way would be to give localities less state revenue and then let them raise local taxes. My point is we all are going to have to "suffer" a little to get what is truly needed. Why not make the users of I-81 pay including out of state drivers? But wait it wouldn't be legal to charge "non-residents" like we found out with excessive traffic fines. Do whatever is equitable and get on with it. Let get some of the money back from the states north of us that charge us tolls when we travel in their state. The money we need for improvements is not going to fall from the sky - either start charging tolls on I-81 or raise the gas tax and get on with it!!

Posted by: Parent Location: Harrisonburg on Feb 2, 2008 at 08:41 AM

WHAT? The truck lobby (the last numbers I saw were that 70% of semi truck traffic on 81 is "thru" traffic, contributing NOTHING but headaches to VA) must be paying the legislature some fat cash to halt the tolls. Get mad people! It will be out of our pockets to fix 81 long term, and the contributions of those who use it and abuse it most often going to the reps and not the roads. Tolls work every where else they have been installed in the U.S. There is every reason to put them in here. VDOT was trying desperately to make that happen.

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