Every quarter the Delaware County Engineer (Chris Bauserman), sends out a newsletter to residents. It’s handy to read up on the planned improvements.
- Construction on the Orange Rd bridge (between Rt 315 and Rt 23) will begin this fall and projected to be open to traffic next summer. Then work will begin on a roundabout on Rt 315 to connect the rerouted Orange Rd with Carriage Rd.
- Construction of the remaining half mile of Sawmill Parkway to Hyatts Rd will begin this fall as well. It will be open to traffic August 2009.
Those are the usual type of updates that are discussed. However, there was another article that was a little more disturbing. The article discussed gas taxes and highway user fees. Now many of us have heard of funding problems with the Highway Trust Fund and the lack of money available for our aging national infrastructure. That came to the forefront when the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed.
Apparently discussions are being held on ways to fund future construction and maintenance of the nation’s highways. Raising the gas taxes is, of course, one means. Another is something the Engineer referred to as a “direct user fee“. Here’s what the article said:
… implementation of more “direct” user fees, such as installing GPS receivers in vehicles and charging per mile driven, and “congestion pricing” with higher fees charged at peak travel times and locations. The “direct” fee concept has been successfully tested in the state of Oregon on a small scale.
If consumers switch more to hybrid cars that use electricity rather than gas, or if people reduce their driving, then it stands to reason that fewer funds will be generated from gas tax money even if the taxes are increased.
What bothers me about the GPS method is that the government will be tracking it. I don’t lead a secret life and am not ashamed to have anyone know where I drive, but I just don’t care for yet another invasion into my life. Good grief, it’s bad enough that Google is taking photos of our streets for the world … and the bad guys … to see. I just don’t think the government needs to know how many times I stop at DQ for a mocha moulatte. GEEZ!!!
What are YOUR thoughts on this?
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Wow, that’s a surprisingly BAD idea!! I’d rather stock up on quarters and visit a toll booth than have the govt tracking anything I do. I mean, I know they do a lot already but is a no go.
My thoughts exactly on the bad idea. Not sure I want the hassle of a toll booth though. They’re a pain.