Click here for Mobile Site: http://m.wbztv.com
  • Font Size    
Advertising
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

New Push To Eliminate Tolls: Let Voters Decide

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +    Comments
Aug 5, 2009 7:54 am US/Eastern

New Push To Eliminate Tolls: Let Voters Decide

Reporting
Beth Germano
BOSTON (WBZ) ― It could be your chance to get rid of tolls altogether in Massachusetts. Frustrated drivers are taking matters into their hands, tired of paying the price, and want voters to decide if the tolls should go.

The grassroots organization Citizens Against Road Tolls has filed two ballot questions with the Attorney General, both of which would require the state to eliminate tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike, Tobin Bridge and Boston Harbor tunnels by January 1, 2012.

As a daily turnpike commuter, Michael Donovan supports the question.

"Tolls are the least efficient way to collect revenues, especially with the expenses incurred, and the ecological issues with traffic as well," he tells WBZ-TV.

But Edward McGrath of CART says their reasoning is even simpler.

"This is a way to take control of our money," he said.

It's a citizen's revolt on the road that could be fueled by anger of new taxes like the recently imposed sales tax increase and talk of new meals taxes.

And no one has forgotten the now 57-year-old promise to eliminate the tolls by the 1980s, except the Turnpike Authority continued to issue bonds to eventually help pay for the Big Dig.

"I don't think it's right to expect commuters to continue to pay costs in an ongoing way," said another Turnpike commuter.

But there is case law on this question. A similar initiative was shot down by the state's highest court in 1998 because there was no provision to pay off bondholders.

In the view of these new petitioners, more than 10 years later, let the state the find the way.

"Taxpayers and toll payers have to live within their means. We expect the state government to do the same thing," said McGrath.

It's up to the Attorney General to decide if the questions are constitutional, and then more than 66,000 signatures will have to be gathered.

The earliest the questions could be put to voters is next year.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

WBZ's Most Popular

Add Comment

here. here. Need a log in? Register here
  •  * Will not be displayed with comment
  •  * e.g. (http://www.mywebsite.com)
  •  
  • Click here to refresh with new letters

Show Comments (0)

Close Window Login


Close Window Flag Comment


loading...
You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Boston Area News

Top News Stories

© MMX, CBS Corporation. All rights reserved.