Evening star., 1962-09-17
PAY AS YOU Go-TWIcE
Many Stotes Are Glad
They Lack Toll Roods
By LUCIAN c. WARREN

1L AONAAAN Ne w AAANAl4N
North American Newspaper Alliance
Many States have not set UP
turnpike or thruway authorities
and are glad Of it.
Take California. 1t has a pop
ulation growth problem much
Second Of Six Articles
worse than that of New York
State, and in December of this
year is scheduled to pass the
Empire State in total popula-
ton.
The Golden State was tempted
like New York to jump the gun
on the 1856 Federal aid act
which established for the inter-
state highway system the prin-
ciple that Uncle Sam was willing
TO foot 90 per cent Of the bills
New York couldn't wait and
built the New York State Thru
way with toll facilities that.
before the century is out. viii
pay off the bonds (at double the
cost Of Federal-State financing
out of gasoline taxes).
California did not succumb to
this temptation. It has a few
State-owned toll bridges. but c.
L. Sweet, bridge engineer for
its toll-bridge management, re-
Gently wrote this reporter:
POLICY in California has al
ways been to use toll financing
only on q few major bridges
which could not be financed by
other means. There are no toll
roads in this State and I have
heard Of no intention to change
this policy In the future"
Out Of 2,l7s miles designated
in California as being on the
interstate system, only IA are
toll facilities. California likes
its freeways.
North Carolina Tops
The State Of North Caro-
lima has the best record in the
Nation of using Federal high
way funds as they become
available. It had SO per cent
Of its fiscal 1862 Federal funds
obligated as Of May 81. con-
trasting with a national aver
age of "A per cent. New York
is 26th on the list, with only
SO per cent obligated.
North Carolina doesn't have
q single mile Of toll road in
corporated on the interstate
system. AS Of June 80. it had
only i8O of its interstate mile
age of 1853 on which contracts
still have to be let. Already open
to traffic are 355 miles, and
work Is in progress on another
263 miles.
The experience Of North
Carolina would seem to refute
the arguments of toll road
loving States that Federal
money doesn't come quickly
enough to build interstate mile
age to meet heavy demands.
New York States record is only
239 toll-free miles Of the inter-
state system open to traffic as
of June 3, although open toll
facilities provide q whoppine
sos miles. New York has in
progress another 1853 miles,
and has still to do another 219
miles to complete its 1927
miles Of the interstate system.
OF 40. 0.798 miles that have been
designated on the interstate
highway system, only 2,301
miles in toll roads have been
incorporated into the system.
Only eight States have more
than 100 miles Of toll roads
tied to the interstate system.
They are New York. Illinois,
Indiana, Kansas, Massachu-
sets, Ohio. Oklahoma and
Pennsylvania.
No Tolls In Arizona
Here are some Of the situa-
tions in the toll-free or largely
toll-free States, as revealed in
comments by officials in au-
thority in response to q ques-
tionnaire:
Arizona has no toll facilities
anywhere on its highway net
work. Director Justin Herman
of the Arizona Highway De-
partment writes that there is
no toll or turnpike authority
in existence here, and a 1861
proposal to establish one failed
of enactment"
Alabama is proud that its
only toll facility is q tunnel
under Mobile Bay. Chief Engi-
neer r. D. Jordan of the Ala
bama Highway Department
writes that the State will &C.
quire and use the present two
lane tunnel and build an ada.
cent and parallel tunnel fol
twin tubes on the interstate
system. "It Is expected" hi
adds, that this arrangement
will make provision for elimi.
nation Of tolls as soon as pres.
ent worth of the existing tubt
is paid for"
Alaska is happy it has M
toll facilities, but griped tina
1t Is paying regular highway
user taxes without benefit o.
any interstate mileage.
Georgia has tolls only OF
one bridge in the interstate
system, which is in the proc
ess Of being made free in ,
=. .4l Dan HnlxrnaA 4