UPDATED: Raimondo Administration Plans to Double New Truck Toll
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
The new gantry at the Thurbers Avenue curve -- RIDOT is proposing a 100% rate increase at the location. Photo: RI Truckers
RIDOT announced an open comment period for the month of February for their proposal to raise the toll rate at location 4, soon to be operational at Route 95 at Oxford Street in Providence, from $2.25 to $4.50.
This comes after RIDOT last fall raised the toll rate more than 100% at location 13 on Route 6 in Providence over the Woonasquatucket from $2.00 — to $5.00.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“This should serve to reinforce concerns over the unbridled power and discretion given to RIDOT and further feeds the suspicion and skepticism of Rhode Island’s business owners and taxpayers about the end game of this scheme,” said Chris Maxwell, President of the Rhode Island Trucking Association.
Currently, there are six tolling locations operational in Rhode Island, with six more slated to be operational across the state in the coming year.
While the RIDOT pointed out the original toll rates had been based on there being 14 gantries, Maxwell took issue with RIDOT making the changes -- after environmental impact studies had been conducted -- that could alter truckers' routes with fewer, but now in some cases higher, toll costs.
“From a legal standpoint, these ‘on the fly’ changes would seem to undermine and violate the purpose and intent of the Environmental Impact Assessments,” said Maxwell. “FHWA has a duty to fully vet the impacts of these changes on factors like truck diversion around the Oxford Street gantry which would force trucks off the interstate and onto already congested city streets.”
"They are already beginning to move the goal posts and diverging from their own analysis," Maxwell added Monday night.
The RIDOT did not respond to request for comment.
RIDOT Cost-Benefit Analysis
RIDOT cited the reason for the increase in tolls was a cost-benefit analysis at each location, to determine whether the proposed toll rate “generates adequate revenue pay back the cost of the project and yield additional funds for bridge reconstruction.”
The justification for the toll increase at toll location 13 by the DOT was the elimination of toll location 14, which had a proposed toll of $3.00. The RIDOT said the modification saved the state money on implementation and overhead costs.
As for location 4, the RIDOT said the original proposed toll of $2.25 had a cost-benefit ratio of 5.77 — and at $4.50, had a ratio of 11.54.
“A project with a Cost-Benefit ratio above 1.0 shows that the benefits outweigh the costs and the project is profitable,” said the DOT. “Additional toll revenue, beyond the funds needed for the project, would be available for deposit into the Rhode Island bridge replacement, reconstruction, and maintenance fund.”
Updated Monday 10:50 PM,UPDATED 6:42 AM
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