Highway Financing: Participating States Benefit Under Toll Facilities Pilot Program
RCED-91-46
Published: Dec 17, 1990. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the progress of the nine states participating in the Federal Highway Administration's Toll Facilities Pilot Program, focusing on: (1) project status, estimated construction costs, and start and completion dates; (2) obstacles the states encountered in starting their projects; (3) toll revenue effects on project financing; and (4) states' planned use of innovative toll collection techniques. GAO also provided information on two privately financed toll projects and a California program to test toll projects funded by public-private ventures.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| If Congress decides to expand the use of tolls on the federal-aid highway system, it should consider setting the maximum federal funding share below that set for non-toll federal-aid highway construction. A lower federal funding share, such as the 35 percent provided under the pilot program, should generally encourage states to limit toll use to roads with a high volume of traffic that generate sufficient revenue to make them financially feasible. A high federal funding share could lead to an overuse of tolls and cause the travelling public to reject tolls on federal-aid highways. |
Closed – Implemented
|
Title 1, section 1012, ISTEA contains a provision which limits the federal funding share on eligible toll highway projects to 50 percent. This share is generally 30 percent less than for non-toll highway projects. |
| If Congress decides to expand the use of tolls on the federal-aid highway system, it should consider encouraging the use of automated vehicle identification technology in collecting tolls by requiring states to include, as part of their project feasibility study, an analysis of whether it would be appropriate and beneficial to use this technology to collect tolls. |
Closed – Implemented
|
ISTEA makes toll road feasibility studies eligible for federal funding but does not require these studies to include an analysis of whether it would be appropriate and beneficial to use automated vehicle identification technology to collect tolls. No further legislative action which would be responsive to the recommendation is anticipated. |
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Federal aid for highwaysstate relationsGovernment collectionsHighway planningPublic roads or highwaysRoad constructionState programsUser feesToll roadsFederal funding