Strama Files House Version Of Watson’s Toll Road Accountability Bill

[Normally, I keep the press releases in Press Room, but it's a slow Friday at the moment. Plus, Mark Strama hasn't received much blogpress lately. Oh, and, if you look at Press Room, I've got about 40 unposted releases I'll get to this afternoon. We've been busy this week. And, if Press Room isn't on your mailing list for releases, please add pressroom-at-capitolannex.com and we'll post your releases over there.]

State Representative Mark Strama today filed HB 1574, the House version of Senator Kirk Watson’s SB 668, which was filed yesterday.  Strama released the following statement:

“This bill incorporates many of the fundamental principles that I believe should govern toll roads – transparency, accountability,  fairness, and efficiency.  I’ve been discussing these principles with my constituents, with transportation planners, and with Senator Watson for over a year, and I’m pleased to join Senator Watson in offering this legislation.

“No one likes paying tolls, but it’s a lot easier to tolerate if the toll is paying for the road you’re driving on, and if the road probably wouldn’t exist if you hadn’t paid the toll.  When you know what you’re paying for, and when you genuinely feel that the tolls are reducing the amount of time you spend stuck in traffic, toll roads take on a different complexion.

“By creating a mechanism to reduce or eliminate tolls after a road is paid off, and to require public disclosure if toll revenues from one road are diverted to another transportation project, this legislation provides the public with some much needed transparency and accountability.”

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