Agreed. Why do some people in Iowa look to Illinois policies as a template for the future? Whatever they do use it as the "what not to do". History will be on your side.
Iowa Toll Road?
- Thread starter jdoggivjc
- Start date
This is interesting to me. Is the increase in traffic strictly because a lane was added or was a lane added because the DOT knew more traffic was coming in the future. I80 seems like on of those that people are going to travel on regardless of how many lanes are available. If you want to get from Omaha to Davenport, what other options are you going to consider? Traffic would have to get really bad before people started taking rural roads.
I could see this being the case for a stretch of road like 235 but not a 300+ mile interstate.
That would cause a lot of traffic, especially trucks, to avoid Iowa. Hwy 34 and Hwy 30 would get a lot busier. Then the DOT would whine about the increased wear and tear on those roads. Trucks that could would go I-90 or I-70 around Iowa.
This is a regressive tax that will limit the mobility of those least able to pay. We’ve already paid for these roads now we’re going to use them to prop up underfunded mandates. A really stupid idea.
They would whine, but then come up with the obvious solution to make 34 and 30 toll roads. Expansion for safety and whatnot
Maybe they would start using highway 20 in western Iowa, which is a complete waste of money.
Not true at all. Trucks are going to go the shortest distance 99 times out of 100. Fuel cost alone would offset that minor of an expense.
The problem isn’t a lack of money. As this got wasted too, they’d just raise rates.
I *think* this is the report they are referecing. It's dated December 2017, but maybe it just became public?
https://iowadot.gov/interstatestudy/pdf/I80PEL-Final-Toll-Financing.pdf
https://iowadot.gov/interstatestudy/pdf/I80PEL-Final-Toll-Financing.pdf
Looks like Iowa would charge a bit less for cars, but more for trucks. And, it is hypothetical, as it looks like it will not go any further than the discussion range.
Bingo. That is an industry that is based on time. Although they may ***** about the increased cost it is a drop in the bucket compared to driving tens if not hundreds of miles out of the way.
Branstad's fuel tax increase wasn't enough, apparently. Increases in taxes...never enough.
Why was it a waste of money? The 4 lane hasn't even been completed up in NW Iowa yet but the increase in traffic is off the charts. Iowa's infrastructure in the northern 1/3rd of the state was severely lacking.
Yes what happened to that money. Before anything is done the DOT needs to look at how bad they are getting screwed by contractors. Then they need to look at how they spend money. They can afford to plant, tear out, and replant trees over and over yet they cannot afford to mow the medians.
How about three other projects that need updating instead:
1) Highway 17 between Wesley and Eagle Grove
2) Highway 18 between Clear Lake to Spencer
3) Blow up Mason City...has to be the worst city to drive through in Iowa besides Sac City
1) Highway 17 between Wesley and Eagle Grove
2) Highway 18 between Clear Lake to Spencer
3) Blow up Mason City...has to be the worst city to drive through in Iowa besides Sac City
Once you get west of 35 on highway 20 you see about 1 car every 5 miles. I'd rather have seen them add additional lanes to highways/interstates that actual see some volume. Expansion was not needed and this was more political than anything.
