Editor’s note:
We are proud to welcome acclaimed author, journalist, and speaker Dan McNichol as our resident Signs columnist. In each issue, McNichol will employ a thought-provoking perspective honed on the highways and biways of the United States to relate the nation’s most significant infrastructure projects, politics, and people.

Photo by Dan McNichol. On the road, we need to pay for what we get, says McNichol.

Over the last half-century, the federal gas tax has funded the construction and maintenance of America’s big roads. The gas tax, however, has reached the end of its road. Cars are getting more miles to the gallon, and alternative fuels, hybrid cars, and even electric cars are becoming more common. Gas tax receipts are dropping. Yet, raising the gas tax to fund the crumbling roads and bridges is a non-starter for the new president.

In December, President Obama said of a proposed gasoline tax hike: “Putting additional burdens on American families right now, I think, is a mistake.” Taxing Americans with a Vehicle Miles Driven tax was also a declared a no-go. The president’s press secretary said of such a tax: “It is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration.” Tolling is the only realistic option left standing.

Interstate I-595 near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., like most big city highways during the rush hour, looks like a tailgate party — not an interstate highway. But Florida lacked the funds to add capacity to uncork the mega bottleneck. Early last year a desperate Florida Department of Transportation turned to a private consortium to fund, design and expand the highway. A state spokesperson said it would have taken 20 years for its highway department to have accomplished the same job. The private firm is scheduled to complete the work in five years. The new lanes will be tolled at varying rates throughout the day depending on traffic flow.

Pennsylvania is looking to adopt a similar plan. In July 2007, the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved legislation to form a public-public partnership between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and its highway department to convert the state’s section of Interstate 80 into a tollway. In Pennsylvania, I-80, a.k.a. “The Shortway,” is a heavily traveled truck route along the northern tier of the state connecting New York City and Chicago. Regardless of the highway’s hazardous state of disrepair and discounting the fact that funds raised by tolling were to repair Pennsylvania’s alarmingly high number of crumbling bridges — among the worst in the nation — highway officials in Washington, D.C. put Pennsylvania’s plan on hold.

President Obama’s Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood should review and approve the application for the sake of every state and their commuters and commercial drivers. Tolls are the quickest, fairest, most practical way for the nation to begin in earnest the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure.

Dan McNichol is the author of The Roads That Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. In 2003, the ASCE named him as one of the nation’s outstanding journalists. His articles and work have appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and many other periodicals. Today, McNichol travels the world speaking about the triumphs and challenges of engineering and construction while continuing his writing. On the speaking circuit, he has gained a reputation as a top-rated talent. He welcomes your comments at dan@danmcnichol.com.