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State Representative Pat Garofalo
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1069
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS RELEASE
GAROFALO AMENDMENT WOULD NIX TOLL ROADS BEFORE THEY START
ST. PAUL - Potential plans for toll lanes on metro area highways could be stalled under an amendment passed by State Representative Pat Garofalo.
An April 24 article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that the Minnesota Department of Transportation is considering adding toll lanes on two metro highways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494. Garofalo's amendment would prohibit future toll lanes on all Minnesota roads. The toll lanes on Interstate 394 would remain as the only exemption.
"We have so many ways to fund roads - be they gas taxes, vehicle sales taxes, bonding, general fund taxes - that Minnesotans already pay. We don’t need to create another bureaucracy and taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay a second time to drive on them," the Farmington Republican said. His proposal was adopted as part of the House transportation bill earlier this session.
According to the Star-Tribune article, MnDOT has started preliminary plans to create toll lanes on I-35W south of the I-94 interchange in Minneapolis and along a portion of I-494 in Plymouth. Those lanes would be similar to the so-called MnPASS Hot Lane created in 2003 along I-394. MnDOT said the lanes would be built along the shoulders of I-35W and users would pay a variable toll that increases as congestion increases.
"South metro residents who drive up 35W and other congested highways have been paying the price for years,” Garofalo said. “How about MnDOT start prioritizing 35W improvements like it should before creating a new way to tax drivers?”
MnDOT recently announced it plans to begin the long-delayed Crosstown reconstruction later this year. Garofalo was pleased, but realistic about the news.
"Fixing the Crosstown is great, but it should have happened several years ago. And lets face it, a faster drive through the interchange won’t mean a whole lot when it takes a half hour to get there.”
Garofalo added that the tolls, which would range from $0.25 thru $8 depending on congestion, would not even come close to paying the full cost to construct, maintain and manage the toll lanes.
All the drivers will fund it, but only those willing to pay again will benefit and that simply isn’t fair, he said.
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