C470 expansion

[history nerd]

Colorado has structural issues that make raising taxes prohibitively difficult.... But yeah, raising taxes would be the reasonable solution anywhere else.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by Vision67

I agree, a higher gas tax is a possible solution.

But what bugs me is that they won't even let us vote on it.

Theoretically, the ideal system would be a pay per use system where only the ones who drive on the road pay for that stretch of the road. It's hard to get a system where you could pay like that.

Given the current toll system though, I think a gas tax is more efficient, as it taxes those who drive in general.

The revenue per mile on the gas tax has gone down quite a bit from when it was implemented as cars have gotten more efficient. So a hike would be justified to bring it back to the revinue per mile of road used that it used to cover.

Also, semi's should get an increased tax because they chew up the road exponentially more than other vehicles.

[Good Red Road]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Righties love the long-term investment aspect of toll roads, and lefties love how toll roads socially engineer people onto mass transit by artificially inflating the cost of driving a car.

This pretty much sums it up.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by DougStark

Hi Denver forum,

I read your C-470 expansion will use a "toll lane" in addition to the existing "free" lanes. I was somewhat surprised that the general public in your community would support such a plan. Why wouldn't you, the general public, demand a "freeway" expansion? After all, you pay gasoline taxes. I'd feel the same way about the E-470 (toll.) IMO, if a state can't afford freeways for its cities, then the gas tax is too low.

I hate the expansion and I hate that freeway. I live in Highlands Ranch and I take nothing but back roads to get to places except during off hours. Instead of creating toll lanes they should have just added a lane to each direction. It is also time to raise the gas tax. It hasn't been raised in 24 years.

[BarryK123]

As one who has never used one of the express toll lanes, nor seen the below situation arise, can someone explain to me how this scenario works:

Slowpoke in the Express Lane. Cars piling up behind.

Do cars behind the slowpoke move right to pass him/her, then get back into the Express Lane?

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by BarryK123

As one who has never used one of the express toll lanes, nor seen the below situation arise, can someone explain to me how this scenario works:

Slowpoke in the Express Lane. Cars piling up behind.

Do cars behind the slowpoke move right to pass him/her, then get back into the Express Lane?

I've used the I-70 lane a dozen or so times and I've never seen that. Honestly I've had to check my speed because it feels dangerous going 40mph faster than the lane next to you.

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

I've used the I-70 lane a dozen or so times and I've never seen that. Honestly I've had to check my speed because it feels dangerous going 40mph faster than the lane next to you.

Lexus lane users have paid for and earned the right to not be held up by the hoi palloi.

Ain't America Great!

[chilicheesefries]

Here's some facts from the expansion website:

Total cost is $276 million. $120.6 million of that comes from State, Federal and Douglas County funding. By my estimation that is almost half that is being paid for one way or another by the taxpayers, not the lane users. Why couldn't they make one of the 2 WB express lanes they're making a free lane?

One thing that it seems to suggest they're doing that will help is upgrading the ramps/etc. One of the biggest bottlenecks is some of the very poor on-ramps that have no distance to get up to speed.

One of the questions that needs to be clearly answered for me to support any tax increase for roads is what will happen to the toll lanes - is there a mechanism to gradually buy out their contracts and make them free once the funding is increased? In other words, are they really there because there's no funding or are they there to benefit certain users? After all, they are at least somewhat taxpayer funded.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Vision67

Lexus lane users have paid for and earned the right to not be held up by the hoi palloi.

Ain't America Great!

Yeah, that $5 was a real bank buster.