There are no free roads. Highways are only funded a few ways and people often don’t realize how important tolls can be to building infrastructure. The preferred method of funding is for the people who use the highways to pay for them. That’s why in Oklahoma, the majority of transportation money comes from the motor fuel taxes. People pay at the pump. But what about trucks from out of state who do not buy fuel in Oklahoma? And what about electric vehicles that don’t use gas at all? These people get to use the highways for free. Federal funding helps (see below) but it only pays a portion, so the states have to come up with the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Toll roads provide Oklahoma with options<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has a $33B backlog of unfunded transporatation projects. So, the main hope for Oklahoma drivers to get relief from congested primary highways and to improve safety is to expand the Turnpike network. Not everyone will want to take the turnpikes, but only those who use the roads will be charged. It provides options. The Turnpikes are safer and the more people who take the turnpikes, the less congested the non-toll roads will be making them safer as well. For example, Texans love their managed lanes. Tolling provides an option to add lanes to congested highways and faster options for through traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ODOT cannot borrow money<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people don’t realize that 100% of normal highway construction must be funded up front. It’s not like when we buy houses or cars. The government can’t get a loan to pay for it. The legislature has to fund it. Turnpikes can borrow money through bonds. This allows them to build the infrastructure we need today and we get to use it while we are paying for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How highways are funded (From Google)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highways are funded through a combination of federal, state, and local government spending, which primarily relies on user fees (like fuel taxes and tolls) and general revenue funds. The federal government covers about one-quarter of public highway spending, while state and local governments finance the remaining three-quarters. [1, 2, 3]<\/p>\n\n\n\n The primary mechanism for funding highway infrastructure is broken down into the following revenue sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] https:\/\/taxpolicycenter.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [2] https:\/\/bluesealogistics.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [3] https:\/\/www.urban.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [4] https:\/\/www.pgpf.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [5] https:\/\/taxfoundation.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [6] https:\/\/www.taxpayer.net<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [7] https:\/\/www.transportation.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u26fd Dedicated User Fees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f General Revenues & Government Appropriations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83d\udcdc Federal Grants & Infrastructure Legislation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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