2006-12-19 12:07:06 · 12 answers · asked by Sterling D 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Commuting
Tolls are supposed to pay for the cost of building and maintaining a bridge or roadway. When there is a large enough fund so that repairs are paid for, the tolls are supposed to be removed. The problem is the politicians see the tolls as a source of general revenue, not a dedicated funding source for a specific item. They would rather continue to collect the taxes (tolls) than treat the public fairly!
2006-12-19 12:14:19 · answer #1 · answered by fire4511 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When toll bridges,tunnels and turnpikes are built , bonds are sold to pay for them . Tolls are collected to pay off the bonds not the construction of the structure[s]. When the obligation [debt ]to the bond holders has been satisfied, the tolls should be removed.
What happens of course is that the tolls remain and either get rolled back into the authority that runs the facility, becomes part of the states general fund or gets used for maintenance , health and retirement benefits for the people that work on the bridges etc.
If you want to read a really great book about this subject, read Power Broker by Robert Caro. It is a biography about Robert Moses who was NYC's greatest builder of civil engineering projects. The Pulitzer Prize winning book is about more than engineering, it's about money and how having power over that much money can lead to corruption.
2006-12-20 06:26:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because bridges need constant maintenance. After you buy a car or a house do you never put money into it again? I know that bridges such as the Mackinac Bridge, longest suspension bridge in the U.S. are under work constantly. Basically by the time they get done painting it you get to start again at the beginning.
2006-12-19 20:27:07 · answer #3 · answered by MIPilot 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
well, of course like everyone else has said, maintainence, but probably also because even if it is there to pay it off for a while and they should be removing it.... the government thinks 'how do the people know its not paid for yet? lets make money off of it! woohoo!' and they really shouldn't do that, but sadly, they do. We are all human, and the government isn't any better, and we are all greedy, except for some people who are just, well, not greedy.
2006-12-20 23:36:40 · answer #4 · answered by emblebeegirl 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Somebody owns the bridge you need to cross to get from where you are to where you want to be. Sooooo....you pay or you don't go. Plus what everybody else said...LOL!
2006-12-20 15:21:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
the money collected on this is supposed to go for maintenance on the brides,but it doesn't always wind up doing that,,but that was the main reason for any kind of a charge for using them,,good luck,i hope this help,s.,,have a good x-mas.
2006-12-19 20:10:25 · answer #6 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To maintain them. Bridges are VERY expensive to maintain in a safe condition.
2006-12-19 20:34:02 · answer #7 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If they are paid for, then who pays for the up-keep, such as repaving and cleaning? Bridges are NEVER paid for.
2006-12-19 20:08:52 · answer #8 · answered by rex_rrracefab 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Maintenance and upkeep. Not to mention greed of your state. They want to keep the double taxation rolling in.
2006-12-19 20:10:09 · answer #9 · answered by Dumb Dave 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To pay for new bridges that aren't.
2006-12-19 20:10:17 · answer #10 · answered by zimmiesgrl 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋