Bill to Allow N.C. Toll Roads

North Carolina is one of only 12 states without public or private toll roads. Revenue generated from the tolls would be used to relieve congestion caused by highway construction and repair.

On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee approved a bill that would give the state's Bridge Authority the power to install toll booths along Interstate-95. The bill now will head to the Senate Finance Committee.

Rep. Jim Crawford, D-Granville, co-chairman of the House Appropriations Transportation subcommittee, said the tolls would help accommodate increased traffic in the state.

Crawford said that each year the state falls $300 million short of the amount needed to maintain roads. The N.C. Department of Transportation might also see a $30 budget million cut under Gov. Mike Easley's budget proposal.

The lack of revenue, as well as growing congestion around Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh and Asheville prompted the proposal of the bills, Crawford said.

The first bill, versions of which have been unsuccessfully filed several times in the past by Sen. Larry Shaw, D-Cumberland, calls for the installation of toll booths on I-95 at the Virginia and South Carolina borders.

Shaw said he hopes the bill will pass this session due to increased awareness of expansion needs. "The likelihood (of passing) increases each year as people realize the needs of the state roads." he said.

Shaw added that tolls would mainly impact out-of-state travelers. He also said revenue from the tolls would go toward widening and maintaining I-95, the major New York-to-Florida highway. Right now the majority of I-95 has four lanes, while sections of I-85 and I-40 are 12 lanes.

But Sen. Patrick Ballantine, R-Carteret, who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said the bill might face serious debate in the Senate.

Ballantine said North Carolina already has the highest gasoline tax in the Southeast and another tax might not be necessary. "Just another toll or another tax is not the answer if we already have money that may be spent more efficiently," he said.

A second bill allows for the creation of the N.C. Turnpike Authority, a group that would provide for further road construction throughout the state.

Crawford said the Turnpike Authority would raise funds for the construction and repair of state roads by issuing bonds paid for by revenue from the tolls.

N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary David King said the DOT supports the bill because it allows communities the choice of whether to build a toll booth. It also provides resources for construction.

Legislators also hope toll booths will provide an alternative to taxing citizens.

Shaw said, "A 1-cent tax would only provide $50 million and people could not afford the needed 7-cent tax."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.