LETTERS

A better way to finance bridge repairs

Posted 8/27/15

To the Editor:

Truck tolls should not be an option to provide the funds to repair and replace Rhode Island’s structurally deficient bridges. Once the very expensive tolling infrastructure …

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LETTERS

A better way to finance bridge repairs

Posted

To the Editor:

Truck tolls should not be an option to provide the funds to repair and replace Rhode Island’s structurally deficient bridges. Once the very expensive tolling infrastructure is in place, the pressure on Rhode Island’s General Assembly to toll all vehicles would be enormous. Every resident of Rhode Island would be subject to political profiling.

To fund the repair and replacement of Rhode Island’s structurally deficient bridges, Rhode Island needs to do two things: Increase fuel tax revenue and increase the number of available jobs in Rhode Island.

First, to accomplish these goals, Rhode Island should reduce the tax on gasoline and diesel fuel to 20 cents per gallon. All Rhode Island drivers, many out-of-state truck drivers, many Massachusetts drivers and many Connecticut drivers would buy their fuel in Rhode Island. The number of people who live within 10 miles of Rhode Island’s border or drive through Rhode Island is very large.        

Although the fuel tax would be lower, the number of gallons of fuel sold in Rhode Island each year would greatly increase because the cost of fuel in Rhode Island would be lower than the cost of fuel in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Next, Rhode Island should allow two truck stops to be built at the two rest areas on I-295 in Lincoln and allow two truck stops to be built on I-95 near the Connecticut border. Many truck drivers would buy their diesel fuel in Rhode Island because of the low price. Each truck stop would also have automobile service, would have a welcome center, would have a convenience store, would have a small hotel and would have several restaurants.

Business at every fueling station in Rhode Island would greatly increase and several thousand new jobs would be created at these fueling stations. Each new job would produce $3,000 in state income tax and state sales tax revenue.  

The increased fuel tax revenue, the increased state income tax revenue and the increased state sales tax revenue would provide the funds to begin repairing and replacing Rhode Island’s structurally deficient bridges. Federal transportation funds dedicated to repairing bridge infrastructure would soon be available. If Rhode Island provided $25 million, $50 million would become available to begin work in the summer of 2016.

Several thousand new high paying construction jobs would soon be created, which would further increase state income tax revenue and state sales tax revenue. This new revenue would guarantee that the bridge repair work would be completed and that yearly routine bridge maintenance would be provided.

The average Rhode Island car owner who uses 500 gallons of gas per year would save 60 dollars per year. A heating oil delivery company with five trucks that buys 200 gallons of diesel fuel per week would save over $1,200 per year. A semi-trailer truck company with five trucks that buys 500 gallons of diesel fuel per week would save over $3,000 per year. 

No $1.1 billion bond issue, no expensive tolling infrastructure, no tax credits, no tax rebates and no special grants to shipping companies would be needed. Just building the tolling infrastructure would cost Rhode Island over $50 million. 

Ken Berwick

Smithfield

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