Pike tolls

In the waning days of the Romney administration, it was suggested -- as a campaign stunt for Healey, no doubt -- that Pike tollbooths be eliminated. And yet, the idea is not without merit for those of us in MetroWest.

The original plan behind the Mass Pike was for it to pay for itself. Construction of the Pike was funded by the sale of bonds, and the tolls were intended to repay and buy back those bonds. This happened a long time ago for the portion of the Pike west of 128. The section inside of 128 is newer, and compounded by the fact that the Turnpike Authority is responsible for the Big Dig, so the situation there is muddied.

Ignoring the eastern part of the Pike, a look at the rest of the Pike reveals a road that collects $114 million in revenue each year, and spends $8 million on policing it, $43 million on collecting the tolls, and $63 million actually maintaining the road. Yes, more than one third of the money collected goes towards that same collection effort.

All the other highways in the state under the aegis of MassHighway have their maintenance paid for by the state gas tax, currently 21 cents/gallon. Folks who drive on the Pike get hit with a double whammy -- the gas they use on the pike is taxed, and their drive also gets hit with the tolls.

It's time to fold the Pike into MassHighway, eliminate the tolls, and raise gas taxes to offset the $71 million loss of revenues. A 9 cent raise would more than cover the costs of maintaining the Pike and more equitably fund the state's highways.

Romney may have suggested this idea for all the wrong reasons -- as a political stunt designed to draw attention away from other matters, or perhaps just as an attempt to curry favor in the swing region of MetroWest -- but it is not an idea without merit. The state highway system in all parts of the state benefits all of us equally, and just as we indirectly help fund e.g. I-195, so should other parts of the state help fund I-90.