States in the US are increasing the number of toll roads as low fuel prices reduce tax revenues to the budget, TASS and dispatch trucking course reports.
According to a report from the US Department of Transportation, the length of toll roads in the country has quadrupled since 2010. In just one year, from 2014 to 2015, the number
of drivers using toll roads increased by 7%. This trend will continue if state legislators, such as Connecticut and Wisconsin, decide this year on protracted projects to open toll roads in their territories.
The introduction of tolls on the roads is necessary in the context of the continued sharp decline in state budget revenues from the tax on fuel.
As a result of tightening environmental regulations and standards, new cars are becoming more economical. This will further reduce tax revenues from fuel sales. For example, Cambridge Systematics estimates that Indiana’s fuel tax revenue will drop from $450 million in 2015 to $300 million in 2025.
