Wisconsin lawmakers reconsidering tollways to pay for road construction

Onalaska Assemblyman Steve Doyle isn’t on board.

The idea of charging tolls on Wisconsin highways remains alive in the legislature.

The legislature is up against a Saturday deadline for passing the state budget. Lawmakers are even reconsidering the idea of toll roads, as a way to finance road construction without raising taxes directly on the state.

In La Crosse, nearly 200 miles from the closest toll roads in Illinois, the idea is a non-starter, according to Assemblyman Steve Doyle of Onalaska.

“My constituents have told me in no uncertain terms that they do not want tolls … and they have told me that repeatedly and clearly,” the Democrat said.

It shouldn’t be part of this budget and Doyle doesn’t see much of anything positive from tollways.

“It’s not the solution,” he said. “It’s going to be expensive. It’s going to take a long time to put it in. It doesn’t have public support. 

“Everybody likes the idea of taxing Illinois drivers that come through Wisconsin but you can’t do that.”

Doyle doubts that if tolls were approved by Congress, they could be confined to just one part of the state, such as the Racine-Kenosha area close to Chicago.

A more ideal solution for road repairs for Doyle, is simply a gas tax, as long as it’s not a huge increase. Currently, Wisconsin’s gas tax is $.31 a gallon.

“We’ve seen gas prices go up and down a few cents in recent months and people accept that,” Doyle said. “It’s just how things are.”