State of Michigan Thinking About Having Toll Roads

There's a bill making it's way through the Michigan legislature that would authorize a "feasibility study investigating the cost and factors involved in adding tolls to certain highways or bridges". According to WILX-TV, the bill has been approved by the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week.

The idea is to figure out if if the plan would make sense for the state (to make it profitable and pay for fixing the roads) and to find out if some of the federal highways in Michigan could actually be turned into toll roads. There is a law prohibiting states from doing that, but, you know - politics.

I don't have a problem with a few toll roads (You know, we almost had a Michigan Turnpike back in the 1950s)  I have to admit, the Ohio Turnpike is in pretty good shape. Throw a toll on some part of I-94 or I-75 (if you can twist some arms in Washington D.C.) and see how much money that'll bring in. I'd prefer that to raising the gas tax.

Your thoughts?

Here's the story.