Salt Lake Tribune - Utah

Salt Lake Tribune - Utah: "West side balks at plan for toll road
Why us? Officials say it won't be built otherwise.
By Jacob Santini
The Salt Lake Tribune

I always love the comments that many people make when the talk of toll roads is approached. They want there new roads but they do not want to pay for them.

Despite the fact that they live in areas that are growing and there is no money to build a bunch of new roads they still want someone else to foot the bill.

Of course you hear all the whining about how much in taxes they pay and why should they have to pay more.

While many will argue about the gas tax, you still have to pay to maintain the highways, pay for law enforcement, take care of local and arterial streets. That adds up to a lot of money going out just to maintain the streets then you throw in paying for new roads and the cost goes through the roof.

Of course the solution is to make the builders pay the full cost of new developments. They will quickly fight back saying that they will have to pass those cost onto their buyers. However, if they buyers want to be in that new community they should have to pay the full cost of development and not expecting people in older communities to have to pay.

The same goes for people who want to use the new highways. They should have to shoulder the cost of building the highway.

Maybe once people are having to pay the full cost of an automobile, transit not look so bad.