Delaware tolls doubling in the near future..

[madinmaryland]

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3034

Delaware is aggressively increasing tolls. This year for the first time tolls are grossing more than the state's fuel taxes (gasoline + diesel taxes). Whereas tolls were only 80% of fuel taxes in FY2005 they will be about 43% higher by FY2009, according to estimates we have cobbled together based on various DelDOT reports (see table below right).

.snip

The giant toll money machine in Delaware is the Newark Toll Plaza across the mainline of I-95 (Delaware Turnpike) just inside the Maryland state line. An average daily 74k vehicles are tolled both directions, and in FY2007 Delaware I-95 revenues were projected to exceed $100m for the first time. Because of the toll plaza's location against the Maryland state line 100% of the tollpayers are traveling interstate and an estimated 90% of them are "foreigners" to Delaware - people who aren't citizens of Delaware and don't influence the legislature.

..snip

Only 2.36 miles of Delaware I-95 are actually tolled - the section between the first interchange in Delaware (DE896) and the Maryland state line shown as points 1 to 2 in the map - the other 8.7 miles having long since lost their toll points due to political pressure. There local traffic traveling free bulks up the traffic flows to 183k veh/day.

If you apply the 2.36 mile denominator to the new car toll rate of $4.00 you get 1.69c/mile or $1.05c/km - toll rates higher than the highest charged on the 91 Express lanes 97.5c/mile (61c/km).

Delaware State Route One (SR1 or DE1) which is a tollroad for 51 miles (82km) from St George to Dover was projected to raise $34m in 2007. That toll take is due to rise to $48m in FY2009, the first full year of new toll rates.

[LostinVA]

1. And she has the nerve to talk about Jersey

[madinmaryland]

6. She talks that way about Maryland also!

:grr:

[LynneSin]

7. Suck on this baby!!!

BTW - Dated Sept 11th, 2007

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070830/NEWS03/708300310/1007

Huge toll hike seen in Corzine plan


By TOM HESTER Jr.
The Associated Press

TRENTON -- The average New Jersey Turnpike commuter may pay $2,400 in tolls annually under Gov. Jon S. Corzine's plan to try to resolve state fiscal problems by increasing highway tolls, according to a Wall Street lawyer.

Corzine has refused to say how much tolls may increase as part of his plan to earn more money from state properties to pay debt and free money for unmet needs, but the attorney who analyzed his concept said a 150 percent toll increase is plausible.

"We just wanted to give an example of what it would be so people would get an idea," said the attorney, Peter Humphreys, a partner in the McDermott Will & Emery law firm in New York who is working with a coalition formed to monitor Corzine's plan called Save Our Assets NJ.

[Beaverhausen]

2. Having lived in Delaware for a few years, I can say they have the best, most well-marked roads

I have lived in Pennsylvania and California as well. Neither of them come close to the great roads in DE.

[LostinVA]

3. Uh oh -- the Delaware Kool-Aid has gotten to you, too!

:cry:

[LynneSin]

8. New Jersey has the WORST marked roads

Their signs barely reflect at night and it's not uncommon to see foliage growth over a sign.

And the potholes - don't even get me fricking started with the potholes. I don't need to see the Grand Canyon, I found it on the Jersey side of the Ben Franklin bridge and it was massive!

[kwassa]

4. Do you get to wait twice as long, too?

I had ample leisure time to sit at a standstill in the traffic lanes and study the "Welcome to Delaware" sign on I-95 on my last trip north.

I believe the proper terminology is "highway robbery".

[LostinVA]

5. That's because Delaware makes sure to have the amount of toll lanes open

inversely proportional to the amount of traffic at that time, unlike other states.

[AngryAmish]

9. There is a good argument that Delaware is the worst state in the nation

Now, for pure stupidity, moral turpitude and violence Florida is hard to beat. However, the people of Delaware seem to think the rest of the country owes them a living.

Delaware generates a lot of revenue due to that little toll road, way in excess it takes to maintain the toll road. Also, Delaware has won the race to the bottom in corporate governance that allows corporations to do whatever they want and screw over the consumer.

A shitty little state, indeed.

[LynneSin]

11. WHOA - this is the lounge

so you're begrudging the fact that I live in a state where I can find a decent job that pays well and has semi-decent benefits.

And btw - I can barely find a space at any of the shopping centers in Delaware because they're packed with cars from NJ, DE and MD taking advantage of the fact that Delaware has absolutely no sales taxes whatsoever.

Since we're not making any money off of sales tax perhaps the tolls is the way to make up for it. Go pay your 5%(MD), 6%(PA) and 7%(NJ) and stop bitching about our tolls (along with cheap smokes & booze)

[Connonym]

10. it sucks but if they spend the money on the roads

isn't it better than having bridges collapse? The better solution would be to end the fucking war and use that money to reinvest in America (imagine what it could to for the economy) but I don't think that's going to happen. I hate paying taxes and tolls as much as anyone but the reality is that until America wakes up from our coma we, the "little guy" are going to bear the brunt of increased tolls, higher gas prices, etc. Revolution anyone?