I-95 Are tolls neccesary?

Looks like the NCDOT has trotted out their "let's toll I-95" again.  Last time they did about two years ago they got serious pushback from NC citizens who live, work, and do business along the path of the road.  NCDOT went back and regrouped this time bringing out a two stage approach in hopes to divide and conquer those opposed to tolling.  Make no mistake the power brokers in Raleigh, NCDOT, plus others aligned with those power brokers who live in counties along I-95 are determined to keep pushing this issue until they win. There is belief in their ranks that they just know better than everyone else about the effects of tolls on I-95.  What I find discomforting is that many people in those counties and many of these power brokers actually think that tolling I-95 would not hurt business along the road. They are wrong.

Almost all my working life has been along I-95.   I have lived in Lumberton, Fayetteville, Sampson County, and Smithfield and likely have put as many miles of driving on this road as anyone.  I understand this road and it's economic impact on businesses in counties along the path and those adjacent to it. There is also the positive impact this road has on adjacent economically depressed counties in eastern NC.  I-95 is the lifeline that has helped keep many smaller towns and cities along and near the road from falling completely into economic despair during this downturn.  Do not tell me that charging $40 for a round trip for tourists, truckers, and residents will not have a serious effect on use of the road and businesses along it. Just using it one time per week will be over $2000 in tolls annually. Imagine the cost for average hard working citizen who uses it to drive to work daily to Raleigh or other towns along the road. Of course those working citizens are not as wealthy as those in Raleigh and many power brokers wanting to toll the road. I expect many of those pushing for tolling just can not understand the economic hardship many would face from tolling since $40 is something they would spend on a average meal for an evening out in Raleigh. Think about how it will change the routes of truckers who use it to deliver goods along this path, and those who stay in our hotels and dine at the restaurants.  How about the effect on new truck stops like the one in Kenly, the new jobs created by Sysco and Food Lion who use this road daily.  Are Raleigh and the ones pushing the toll road willing to reimburse the towns and counties for the loss of sale tax revenue?  Would they be willing to give economic help to the motels, restaurants, and outlets that will get hurt badly from tolls on I-95?

Let's note that even with the $40 two way tolls only $28 of that will actually reach the cost of upgrading the road since there is a 30% cost of just administering the toll. If we used our money wisely we would use that huge 30% to buy pavement and rebuild bridges along the road instead of wasting on administration toll costs.  Let's also note that for years NC Governors and NC Legislators took hundreds of millions of transportation trust fund money from the trust fund to pay for other favored spending that could and should have been used to upgrade I-95. 

All this points out that those in Raleigh, NCDOT, and power brokers want to get I-95 and and the needed improvements off their plate so they can get on to other road building needs for more politically influential areas of the state. Other needs such as continuing to upgrade US 70 to near interstate standards which is a priority of Gov. Perdue.  Is anyone asking about tolling US 70?  Is anyone asking about tolling the desperately needed bridge over the Yadkin River on I-85?  Did anyone consider tolling I-85 on all the recent upgrades on that road. How about tolling on the Charlotte loop? No one has asked and no one will since those areas are considered more important and frankly more of our wealthy citizens use these roads.  Could here be some racism in the efforts to toll I-95 since it is used by local lower income and minorities more than other interstates in NC? 

The argument that only Yankees use I-95 is also being trotted out for this road and that makes no sense either. Yankees are really tourists, which would be considered important economic sources of revenue in other parts of the state, but since they are along I-95 they are just Damn Yankees to many in Raleigh and frankly to many who live near I-95.  Of course our gas tax is so much higher now than any other state around us so maybe these Yankees should just fill up at the border and drive right on through the state. One would think all that high gas tax would help us build roads without tolls, but the NCDOT and power brokers in Raleigh waste much of that money on unused passenger trains and for road building political favors.  Do not tell me that NC has the largest state supported roads network in the country, others do it with less revenue even when you consider the way it is funded. The issue is setting priorities for the funds we have now. 

This week there was a point of discussion on NC Spin that favored tolling made by my friend John Locke that those who use I-95 should pay for it. Well where was this argument when we were upgrading other Interstates in NC?  No one said that when I-85 was upgraded,  no one said that when the urban loops were being built. I wonder now if when I-40 West from Statesville to Asheville which now needs upgrading like I-95 is considered if tolls will be considered there?  My spouse had a great idea about a Transportation Lottery to pay for these improvements.  While I am opposed to lotteries, since the NC Legislature pushed the so called Education Lottery through a lottery for road upgrades should make sense to them too. Outgoing Gov. Perdue who was such a fan of the Education Lottery could make this one of her legacy legislative achievements. 

Now one place I do agree with NCDOT is with the idea of doing this road in segments. That idea is one I pointed out when this toll idea was first trotted out. Many segments of I-95 do not currently need upgrade. For example the portion below Lumberton mile marker 20 is in excellent shape. By the way when the portion around Lumberton got upgraded two years ago why did NCDOT not go ahead and increase the road to six lanes then? The same people who are telling us they got the plan for I-95 now missed a perfect opportunity to save money there. There are other portions not in immediate need of upgrade as well. The portion needing the most immediate work is from mile 81 south to Fayetteville, about 30 miles or so.  That segment is the busiest and could use a 6 lane upgrade now so let's appropriate some money and get it done. The next segment needing improvement would be from Fayetteville north to Kenly. Once those are done you could move on to 20 to 30 mile segments and get this road done over a decade or so using current reoccurring funding from regular road improvement revenue sources.  South Carolina has I-95 too and they seem to be using the segment at a time approach to get their portion upgraded and they have more miles than NC. 

Here is a fact no one in Raleigh or NCDOT wants to acknowledge many of the miles along I-95 do not need to be 6 or 8 laned now or in the foreseeable future. The current approach is to turn I-95 into a super road Cadillac style where that is not needed. Did you know the current idea is make the road concrete and not asphalt? That is a significant increase in upgrade price. There are other such Cadillac road ideas in the planning as well that could and should be eliminated. NCDOT officials even admitted that to me when I questioned them on this road the first round of attempted tolling. $4 to $5 billion as we are lead to believe is not needed here, a good bit less would do the work if we did not build a top of line road.  We could take $300 to $500 million annually and make it happen over a decade. The reason again they do not want to do it this way is they want to use those funds somewhere else in the state. Well sorry power brokers but I-95 has served this state well over the many years of use providing jobs, tax revenue, and a economic lifeline to a poorer part of NC and now needs help to begin upgrades and improvement.  For years this road has been neglected for more politically favored routes when timely upgrades would have solved the current situation. Raleigh, NCDOT,  and power brokers you owe it to this road and the people who use it who have paid taxes and made investments over the years to pay them back for doing their part over the decades and not hitting them with economic pain for a job well done. 

What can you do? Call your NC legislators, call your US congressional representatives, contact local officials and elected representatives, go to the upcoming meetings and let your voice be heard.  That last one going to the meetings and expressing your opinion is what backed off NCDOT last time so do not neglect attending the meetings.  A schedule of these meetings can be found at www.driving 95.com.   Despite what you hear you can make a difference as many of you did last time this tired old idea was trotted out.  Maybe it is time to ask Gov. Perdue and Mr. McCrory what their policy would be on tolling I-95.  Are there any reporters out there who will take this question on? 

The writer is a current resident of Smithfield and VP on the Johnston County Visitors Bureau. My opinions here do not necessarily reflect those of the Johnston County Visitors Bureau.