By Steve Frey
Tolls could be coming to the NRV. Actually, they may be coming to the entire length of Interstate 81 if a bipartisan proposal makes its way through the legislature.
Governor Northam and legislators from both parties recently unveiled a proposal that will provide $2.2 billion for improvements to enhance traffic flow and alleviate crashes on this busy roadway that traverses the entirety of western Virginia. The project will add lanes, improve curves, widen shoulders where needed, and install additional cameras and warning signs to keep the flow of traffic moving.
Anyone who has spent much time driving on I-81 knows that this will be money well-spent because crashes, stoppages and long, slow lines have become commonplace, especially between Radford and Roanoke.
The proposed toll would be 17 cents per mile, with a low-priced annual pass (perhaps around $30) for local commuters with cars or small trucks. There may be nighttime or low-traffic time reductions possible, also. Of course, there will be opposition from trucking firms that will say that the tolls will affect commerce, but the bi-partisan legislative group feels this is the best option for moving forward, and the governor believes it will have the least impact on what he calls the “economic main street” of western Virginia.
In choosing this plan, which will take about seven to 10 years to complete, some other suggestions were dropped. One was to raise gas taxes throughout the state. This regressive tax would affect poorer people the greatest as a percentage of income.
Another suggestion was a regional tax, which would affect the people along the interstate corridor the most, but that would certainly be a burden on many areas that lack proper funding for schools and other essential services now.
Another choice would be to do nothing, but that would not stop the crashes, injuries and the bottleneck of traffic that currently exists. No, something has to be done, and the tolls will generate funding from the vehicles that cause the most wear and tear on the roadway—tractor-trailer trucks—rather than local residents.
One thing that has been put on a back burner by Norfolk Southern is the extension of rail service to Christiansburg. One of the major goals of that project was to get traffic off of I-81, but who knows if and when that might become a reality.
Another idea that has been bandied about is putting more truck cargo trailers on trains rather than using the highway. That is an attractive solution that would take many trucks off of the interstate. The cost of tolls could be an impetus for that kind of system.
It will also be interesting to see how the toll system will affect localities all along I-81. There is the potential for roads like Route 11 or Route 460 to be used by more cars and trucks to avoid tolls. Who knows, smaller byways like Peppers Ferry Road may also become more crowded with, for example, people traveling from Pulaski to Blacksburg to see a Tech game.
Increased traffic may also boost commerce along Route 11 in places like Christiansburg, Radford, Dublin and Pulaski. That would be ironic since Interstate 81 actually decreased business in a lot of towns as they were bypassed in the past.
An important consideration is the type of highway that will be needed in the future. Will there be high-speed rail systems created along major interstates? Some places have combined these systems.
The top nine fastest rail systems are in places like China, Japan, Italy, Spain, Germany, etc. None of them are in the United States. The top rail speed is 267 mph, and all of them have trains traveling at least 200 mph.
Bristol, Virginia is about 367 miles from Washington, DC. A rider on a high-speed rail could be there in less than two hours instead of more than five driving. From Roanoke, one could arrive in one hour instead of almost four.
In the future, there may be self-driving cars and trucks, and today there are already cars equipped with anti-collision systems that help prevent crashes. How will these systems affect travel? What new systems are possible?
Electric cars, monorails, truck trains and many other ideas are floating around that may change transportation systems including roads and bridges in the future. It is essential to plan for change.
It is too bad that the federal government, the originator of the interstate system, could not contribute to the repair, renovation and new construction of interstates across the country. This involvement would create thousands of jobs—from design engineers to construction workers. The good news is that those jobs will be in Virginia with this plan. In addition to road construction, toll booths and personnel to man and maintain them will also be needed.
It is always challenging to fund large projects like this interstate plan, but if you have ever found yourself in a two-hour standstill or five mph traffic, or if you have seen a severe tractor trailer-auto accident, you understand the need.
If the proposed legislation is approved, we can expect thousands of orange cones on I-81 for many years. We can also expect safer, more fluid traffic flows.
The tolls, it would seem, are a bridge to a brighter future.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
