Are toll roads, by the government, constitutional?

[Yurt]

With toll, 520 traffic light — and faster than limit

Motorists are diverting to other roads, chiefly the toll-free Interstate 90 bridge. Regionally, commutes were 5 mph to 10 mph faster, because of the holidays, since tolls began on Dec. 29. Officials say this week will provide a more accurate picture — but on Friday the state Department of Transportation (DOT) hedged its bets by saying traffic might not settle until February, given the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Monday morning, the prevailing speed on 520 was around 62 mph heading to the Eastside at 8:40 a.m., at the same time there were slowdowns on I-90 across Mercer Island. Earlier, a collision blocked some I-90 lanes entering Seattle.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...eeding07m.html

the only toll i use is a private toll road. just curious how others view public toll roads.

seems like a form of tax.

[SmarterthanYou]

depends on the state constitutions

[Threedee]

This is how many of the major roads projects in WA were built and paid for in the 1950s and 1960s, including the 520 Bridge that the article is talking about. Tolling began on the 29th, and many people are opting to try I-90 as an alternative method. Tolling is a pain, and Olympia is not run by the same people who oversaw those old projects (both parties did a phenomenal job back then in the area of roads projects), but it is what it is. Most likely, the tolls (like many modern transportation taxes) will be slow to go away once the specific revenue need is taken care of.