In response to Richard Arsinow’s letter “Toll idea” (Voice, April 29), I disagree on the following points:
– Mr. Arisonow said the Illinois Department of Transportation should be able to take over maintenance of tollways through a planned transition period. But with a planned transition or not, additional money would be needed for IDOT to pay for the maintenance of these additional highways. The money either would come from budget-cutting from other departments (that means some state employees will be out of a job) or raising taxes (people who will never or seldom use these “former tollways” have to pay the same amount as those who use them regularly).
– He mentioned the old toll-collecting system, which I agree was a fair system. But he forgot that there are a lot more cars now than in the late ’50s and ’60s. If we collect tolls at all the exit ramps instead, there will be congestion at the ramps that will back up onto the through lanes and create congestion. Moreover, adding toll collectors at all the ramps will cost more than the current system.
The current toll-collecting system is not perfect but is efficient and cost-effective. With the population shifting more and more from cities to suburbs, along with population increases, more roads have to be built. At the same time that governments are trimming budgets, cutting taxes, etc., tollways may be the only way to maintain the currently deteriorating infrastructures as well as expand the current highway systems.
