In a congestion pricing system, drivers pay a fee that varies according to prevailing traffic volumes. Its many backers have observed that, when no one pays for one's driving habit, the roads become gridlocked. Eliminate tolls, and the Turnpike will compete with the latter for dollars. In the end, there's no free lunch. If we want to operate a Turnpike, we've got to pay for it.
Tolls are the right way to go.
Stephen H. Burrington is senior attorney and director of the Communities Project at the Conservation Law Foundation.