General Discussion

kentauros

(29,414 posts)

29. And for those of you that assume because some of us haven't driven in the NE,

Thu May 1, 2014, 02:10 PM

May 2014

that we therefore don't know what modern tollways are like, I give you this:

http://www.texastollways.com/

pRick Perry went "toll happy" not long after becoming resident of the governor's mansion here. My normally free, state-maintained U.S. Highway 290 (it's always been well-maintained without tollway funding) now has a section in Austin that's a tollway. I had to get one of those stupid electronic patch thingies just so I wouldn't get a ticket when I visit my family a few times a year. And so, they're now rebuilding that section and it looks like it'll be as massively overbuilt as the Katy Freeway in Houston (18 lanes wide for those that have never driven here!)

Austin could have avoided all that overbuilt roadway and tollway crap by just insisting more cubicle and office workers telecommute. We could avoid it nationwide if we just doubled the current number telecommuting.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/workers-telecommute_n_1228004.html
http://www.globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics

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Highlight:

For DUers who haven't lived somewhere with toll roads, technologies have advanced [View all] MohRokTah May 2014 OP

And that's fantastic LittleBlue May 2014 #1

Love the gif! Lars39 May 2014 #3

Colbert can always express LittleBlue May 2014 #11

Oh,yes! :-) Lars39 May 2014 #14

Oh yeah Bobbie Jo May 2014 #22

Spot on. Perfect gif as well. nt laundry_queen May 2014 #86

word frylock May 2014 #106

and raising gas taxes doesn't effect the poor? VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #152

We have those at the tollways in Colorado. backscatter712 May 2014 #2

I have gotten 2 tickets on 470 SomethingFishy May 2014 #9

Didn't that change recently? backscatter712 May 2014 #34

It may have, this was a couple years ago and I don't SomethingFishy May 2014 #52

They've been rolling that out in NYC. sir pball May 2014 #142

Fabulous. I still can't afford it. nt Codeine May 2014 #4

Same shit on a different platter. Throd May 2014 #5

If your state's Senators won't vote for infrastructure funds, this is what happens. JoePhilly May 2014 #6

So, the Democratic Party should commit political suicide just to spite Red State voters? Laelth May 2014 #57

How many Democratic Senators support it? JoePhilly May 2014 #61

I don't know. n/t Laelth May 2014 #63

It's going to be more common & has nothing to do with Dems, but GOP who won't raise taxes themaguffin May 2014 #154

Technology is awesome. bluedigger May 2014 #7

We already pay for the roads. We pay federal tax upaloopa May 2014 #8

EXACTLY^^^ hlthe2b May 2014 #12

...... A HERETIC I AM May 2014 #30

I took three dollars from my left pocket... Atman May 2014 #35

I don't think I want to know. greatauntoftriplets May 2014 #53

National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank upaloopa May 2014 #82

You said...... A HERETIC I AM May 2014 #138

What ever upaloopa May 2014 #140

My thoughts exactly! Aerows May 2014 #114

And it is possible to be charged without even knowing it--receiving a bill in your mail-- hlthe2b May 2014 #10

Driven in Florida lately? Atman May 2014 #38

Evidently, you haven't ... Mika May 2014 #72

Well, yeah... a couple of months ago... Atman May 2014 #80

I SO love the government tracking where & when I drive on the interstates Lurks Often May 2014 #13

OTOH... pipi_k May 2014 #27

Oh, well. Okay then. kcr May 2014 #15

And if you are out of state and you are confused a little itsrobert May 2014 #16

Doesn't work for most Glitterati May 2014 #17

Sounds like a bad design. bunnies May 2014 #23

Anyone who votes for this will never get a vote from me. Bluenorthwest May 2014 #18

"Open road" and "tolling"; an oxymoron if ever Codeine May 2014 #19

It is worse betterdemsonly May 2014 #20

Based on the tollroads around here tammywammy May 2014 #26

I concur. kentauros May 2014 #32

So having to take the long way home betterdemsonly May 2014 #36

I would recommend whichever state you personally enjoy the most. kentauros May 2014 #74

Your governor trashes California betterdemsonly May 2014 #76

I go by how and what people say around here. kentauros May 2014 #81

My post was about the problem with deregulation and antilabor views betterdemsonly May 2014 #83

I did nothing of the sort, kentauros May 2014 #84

Why don't you post a link where I just bashed texas betterdemsonly May 2014 #85

Well, if you insist: kentauros May 2014 #92

I don't get it betterdemsonly May 2014 #93

If your claims aren't true, then you need to make corrections, kentauros May 2014 #94

Where did I say you supported republicans? betterdemsonly May 2014 #95

Sigh. kentauros May 2014 #100

I would say you are the one inferring betterdemsonly May 2014 #103

I'm not following you around. tammywammy May 2014 #107

It's kind of a gotcha around the airport in Dallas jberryhill May 2014 #49

you take 35N to 635West...easy peasy :) snooper2 May 2014 #67

Well, I can understand that with Dallas. kentauros May 2014 #69

Austin is working on making Loop 1 Texasgal May 2014 #113

Yeah, I've gotten stuck in rush-hour traffic on MoPac before. kentauros May 2014 #116

here it's called "last exit before toll" on a humongous sign. nt dionysus May 2014 #164

Yay! cherokeeprogressive May 2014 #21

It's called a police checkpoint krispos42 May 2014 #24

It's a public frigging road. There is no expectation of privacy on a public frigging road. eom MohRokTah May 2014 #25

Which means they have OPTION to do it krispos42 May 2014 #121

I would suggest you read the Fourth Amendment. cherokeeprogressive May 2014 #131

Which is pretty inefficient in the first place jberryhill May 2014 #51

The most efficient method of all is to raise the gas tax krispos42 May 2014 #122

I agree. Now convince the Republcians who control the House. MohRokTah May 2014 #123

Obama came out for supporting tolls, right? krispos42 May 2014 #125

He'd need to threaten to veto any bill that adds funding for infrastructure MohRokTah May 2014 #127

They already do from the micro tracking beads whistler162 May 2014 #159

it's the nanomites, man, they're in everything (even the weed)!11!!!1 dionysus May 2014 #165

Easier to separate people from their hard earned money seveneyes May 2014 #28

And for those of you that assume because some of us haven't driven in the NE, kentauros May 2014 #29

You don't have to stop at troll booths, it's called open road trolling. Ichingcarpenter May 2014 #31

Wonderful! Atman May 2014 #33

Color me crazy, but I don't think waiting at toll booths is the primary concern here. Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #37

Are you implying your own personal support for toll roads? Trajan May 2014 #39

I got a far better idea nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #40

GREAT IDEA! MohRokTah May 2014 #41

You put in tolls, you ain't gonna ever get rid of them nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #42

I agree. MohRokTah May 2014 #43

At this point, we need the President to issue a few executive orders nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #45

He issued an executive order. MohRokTah May 2014 #47

So I give up nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #50

So you have no answer. MohRokTah May 2014 #54

You want me to give you an answer for which I pay my employees to do nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #56

Nadin gave you an answer obviously you did not like it HangOnKids May 2014 #46

Sounds like some pretzel logic to me. Rex May 2014 #60

Do you think it is? hrmjustin May 2014 #117

+1,000,000 nt laundry_queen May 2014 #88

There used to be a toll on the Coronado Bridge here in San Diego, rudolph the red May 2014 #135

So because Congress is petulant, we foist the cost burden onto the poor, myrna minx May 2014 #87

Rich stay Rich and the poor get even poorer, what's not to love? dilby May 2014 #44

Advanced to the point where you can get double or triple billed by misaligned sensors. hobbit709 May 2014 #48

SunPass is Florida is currently being sued for that very thing. Ikonoklast May 2014 #128

It's political suicide for the Democratic Party. Laelth May 2014 #55

Meanwhile, everybody who drives is having their car damaged on a daily basis due to the roads. MohRokTah May 2014 #58

There's nothing reasonable that we can do at this time. Laelth May 2014 #59

If Democrats had any brains at all laundry_queen May 2014 #91

Read this with the OP nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #124

i lost both of my right side hubcaps this year due to potholes... they should basically repave most dionysus May 2014 #166

So? Okay, so what about people that cannot afford one more additional 'sacrifice'? Rex May 2014 #62

Collateral damage etherealtruth May 2014 #118

If it were guaranteed that private companies would not set rates, I'd have little problem with it. LanternWaste May 2014 #64

In Illinois, it's the government that sets the toll rates. MohRokTah May 2014 #65

Not in Georgia. The teapublicans are handing our highways over to private companies. Glitterati May 2014 #68

So the way Illinois does it = right and the way Georgia does it = wrong. MohRokTah May 2014 #70

But if this goes through, it would be up to each individual state to determine what is right and wha LanternWaste May 2014 #78

They already ARE. Glitterati May 2014 #98

It's the only way this CAN go through. MohRokTah May 2014 #109

and the government had to agree to that Niceguy1 May 2014 #104

Yeah, when that happens, everyone is screwed. Glitterati May 2014 #66

Holy crap! $8.00 to drive 3 miles? Truly highway robbery! Lars39 May 2014 #71

You gotta be crazy to spend that! Glitterati May 2014 #73

Still steep. Dang Lars39 May 2014 #75

All the teabaggin' states are follow the leader states Glitterati May 2014 #97

Simply infuriating! Lars39 May 2014 #99

Sorry, but I'm about to make your day worse. No competitive bidding Glitterati May 2014 #110

omg Lars39 May 2014 #111

Yep Glitterati May 2014 #112

I come in on a toll road every day Gothmog May 2014 #77

I love tolls so much I sometimes just randomly throw money out the window !!! Bonx May 2014 #79

Okay, that made me laugh! kentauros May 2014 #101

spitting out my coffee.....! ancianita May 2014 #158

Here's what I saw, "it's called open road trolling." Autumn May 2014 #89

. hrmjustin May 2014 #126

Too much time on MIRT... Agschmid May 2014 #144

I guess. Fortunately, the required technology for a GAS TAX is lower. Pholus May 2014 #90

Then get the GOP to increase the gas tax. MohRokTah May 2014 #108

But they'll hop right on this toll thingie? Pholus May 2014 #115

Totally possible for someone *not* internet savvy to go on a long trip Lars39 May 2014 #96

Right, and it's certainly here on the east coast. elleng May 2014 #102

have they advanced to the point where someone making shit wages and driving 50+ miles.. frylock May 2014 #105

I don't think those promoting this scheme ... etherealtruth May 2014 #119

Cross the George Washington Bridge from NJ to NY etherealtruth May 2014 #120

Interesting how nobody thought this was a good idea for 45 minutes or so until you all LeftyMom May 2014 #129

Interesting how there were several "toll outrage" threads... jberryhill May 2014 #132

People responded to something the president said on a political message board? You don't say. LeftyMom May 2014 #133

...and then people responded to the postings jberryhill May 2014 #134

Sorry guys, the timing gave you away. LeftyMom May 2014 #136

Lol jberryhill May 2014 #137

I make about 1k a month, it's pretty cushy. Agschmid May 2014 #146

Is that your direct pay or your downline percentages jberryhill May 2014 #147

Whaaaaat! Agschmid May 2014 #148

Sid Dithers jberryhill May 2014 #149

Must be! Agschmid May 2014 #150

Not yet jberryhill May 2014 #153

It was end of quarter... SidDithers May 2014 #157

Yup. Agschmid May 2014 #145

Interesting how all the most devoted libertarian-hunters are all JoeyT May 2014 #139

Interesting the way that works. Autumn May 2014 #141

Sweet! We can pay gas taxes AND tolls! Awesome! neverforget May 2014 #130

Mass to go all electronic by 2016... Agschmid May 2014 #143

You talking privatized or government run ismnotwasm May 2014 #151

I'm in Illinois where it is 100% government run. MohRokTah May 2014 #156

Not in Chicago. The Chicago Skyway and Toll Road were leased in 2004. It took years to improve it. ancianita May 2014 #161

The technology is so great that if you have an HOV exemption Gormy Cuss May 2014 #155

Do not ask for whom the road tolls. It tolls for thee. And truckers. They are gonna be pissed. ancianita May 2014 #160

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2014 #162

Most of the tolls on these roads go to line the pockets of corporations, not to the government. alarimer May 2014 #163