Lawmakers still bouncing ideas around for state’s $1 billion transportation deficit

Toll roads, however, do not seem to be
solution, despite recent DOT study to the contrary.

Wisconsin needs a solution to transportation funding with a $1 billion fund deficit.

Toll roads in the state, however, does not seem like one of them according to Onalaska state rep. Steve Doyle.

“There’s just not public acceptance,” Doyle said. “People look at it as more of a nuisance than a legitimate way to collect some additional revenue.”

A new DOT report says tolls on the interstate in Wisconsin would raise up to $40 billion for transportation over a 30 year period. Of course, setting up a toll collection system would initially cost hundreds of millions of dollars and federal approval.

And, Doyle says expanding a number of fees – an all-of-the-above solution – would be the best way to fill the deficit in the state. 

Some of those solutions could include higher gas taxes and registration fees. Doyle also talked of more creative solutions.

“You could have slight surcharge, for example, for particularly fuel-efficient vehicles, like mine,” he said. “My car gets very good gas mileage, so I’m not paying my fair share and I think I should.”

The consensus revolves around that “paying my fair share” thinking from those both in and outside the state.

“To the extent that we can get the users of the road, including those Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota people to pay their share, such as through the gas tax and so forth,” Doyle said. “I think we’re going to look at that as much as possible.”