What does everyone think about the Louisville bridge tolls?

[JollyMon]

It is a bummer. My inlaws own a company in New albany routinely has trucks going back and forth over the river. Its going to add a huge overhead when they close the sherman minton down for repairs (which I heard is going to happen in the near future)

 

[jamil]

It is a bummer. My inlaws own a company in New albany routinely has trucks going back and forth over the river. Its going to add a huge overhead when they close the sherman minton down for repairs (which I heard is going to happen in the near future)

Well. If that's true. I guess I'll have to break down and get one of them damn transponders.

 

[seagullplayer]

I am gonna use 2nd street as long as I can.

 

[NKBJ]

The only (repeat only) problem with any tolls is that they do not go away, become a permanent part of the budget and increase with time.
Once the pig gets his nose under the wire you can either put up with it or make sausage. But, uh, in this case the pig runs the farm.

 

[NIGHTRIDER]

We will in our lifetime be taxed for every mile we travel.This is probably just the beginning.Credit card machines in our cars?

 

[KittySlayer]

...when they close the sherman minton down for repairs (which I heard is going to happen in the near future)

I would assume when it reopens it will have a toll also?

 

[dsol]

The only (repeat only) problem with any tolls is that they do not go away, become a permanent part of the budget and increase with time.
Once the pig gets his nose under the wire you can either put up with it or make sausage. But, uh, in this case the pig runs the farm.

Yep, nothing is as permanent as a temporary tax increase.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Yep, nothing is as permanent as a temporary tax increase.

Tell me about it. In the 80s they assesed an extra 1% tax on prepared foods to pay for the Hoosier Dome in Marion County.

That evolved into the RCA dome and was subsequently torn down in 2008.

Even though the dome is gone, (and presumably paid for) the tax is still here, going strong.

 

[actaeon277]

Yep, nothing is as permanent as a temporary tax increase.

Tollroad across north Indiana was supposed to be temporary, according to the old timers.

 

[gopher]

Tolls SUCK. End of story.

I'm surprised it's not more of a hot-button issue, especially since it seems like it's pretty stupid pricey to go over a bridge.

We avoided it on our last trip south by using I-64, and I can't help but feel that it's going to backfire on them in terms of increased traffic on alternate routes and lower traffic to downtown hot spots. I jokingly said to my wife we should park at Kingfish and just walk over the 31 bridge to the Yum Center next time we go to a concert.

New I-65 and I-265 bridges open, tolls for trucks cost $10-$12 | Overdrive - Owner Operators Trucking Magazine

 

[amafrank]

Tell me about it. In the 80s they assesed an extra 1% tax on prepared foods to pay for the Hoosier Dome in Marion County.

That evolved into the RCA dome and was subsequently torn down in 2008.

Even though the dome is gone, (and presumably paid for) the tax is still here, going strong.

The dome may be gone but we're still paying for it. They never paid the damn thing off despite getting enough money from Lilly and taxes and on and on. Thats one of my biggest gripes about tolls on roads and bridges. If the road is an interstate or other publicly funded highway than tolls should be illegal. On bridges I understand the costs need to be covered but if its a public road then they need to find another way to do it. Tolls should not be legal on public roads. We're already paying for the damn things through taxes only the taxes are being diverted to pay for other crap that isn't part of the system. The BS system they're using of tracking plates and sending bills, inflated bills for that method too, is really bad. Either set up a system to allow payment at time of service or give the same pricing to users that you would with a toll booth. If I can't pay the toll when I cross why should I be screwed over? They know they don't want toll booths to slow traffic and they don't want to pay booth operators or maintenance but the idea of jacking us for an additional $2 because they don't have a pay in place system is BS. I know you can buy a transponder but if you only hit the bridges twice a year its not worth it. Either way they win though. Most folks won't even know they're being jacked for the toll til its too late so they'll use the bridges and pay for the politicians. Those of us who avoid the bridges just help keep traffic flows down and they win that way too.

Looks like I'm taking the slightly longer way around to go to knob creek. Being east of indy and just west of richmond its not too much out of the way to go down around cincy and head down I 71.

Frank

 

[avboiler11]

In lieu of tolls, would some of you support a higher gasoline excise tax, which is $0.0184/gal nationally and has been there since 1993?

 

[eldirector]

Luckily, I don't go to Louisville much at all. I do head "south" every so often, but I-74 then I-75 works fine, and no tolls.

 

[avboiler11]

Whenever they get around to replacing the Brent Spence bridge in Cincinnati...it will be tolled.

 

[littletommy]

Did any of y'all see the old hag from Kentucky on the news a month or so ago scolding everyone and saying "like it or not people, the tolls are here to stay"?

 

[bwframe]

You all know that our state legislature HERE is doing it's best to RAISE INDIANA STATE GAS TAXES, right?
Another tax that will never ever get turned back if we allow it.

 

[actaeon277]

In lieu of tolls, would some of you support a higher gasoline excise tax, which is $0.0184/gal nationally and has been there since 1993?

No. As I mentioned earlier, I am against ALL extra fees/licenses/etc.
1 Federal tax
1 State tax
1 local/county tax.

 

[KMaC]

Tell me about it. In the 80s they assesed an extra 1% tax on prepared foods to pay for the Hoosier Dome in Marion County.

That evolved into the RCA dome and was subsequently torn down in 2008.

Even though the dome is gone, (and presumably paid for) the tax is still here, going strong.

And the Capital Improvements Board owed more when it was torn down than they borrowed to build it. Let quasi government appointed boards borrow money and you can't even vote them out.

 

[ClydeB]

I live in Southern Indiana and work across the river in Louisville. Here's what I have seen.
Morning - I take 64e across the Sherman Minton to work. Bit of an increase in traffic from before. Mostly more semi tractor trailers.
Afternoon - 64w traffic has gotten a lot heavier from downtown Louisville, across the bridge, and up to the i265 offramp. And it backs up a few miles on the Watterson Expressway trying to get onto 64w.

Trying to get onto the 2nd street bridge in the afternoon is also a major PITA no matter which way you try. Traffic is tight on 2nd street back to Broadway usually, and the other downtown roads feeding into 2nd street are also packed. Getting off of the 64w to 3rd street ramp and swinging around to the 2nd street bridge take about 20 minute plus just to get to the 2nd street bridge.

Interestingly enough, at least for the present, is i64w from the St Mathews mall area (Watterson expressway) to downtown. Used to be bumper to bumper and slow as molasses. Now its the speed limit all the way. The 2 lanes from i64w onto I65n keep the traffic from bottle necking. And I65n in the afternoon is also pretty fast and hassle free.

Obviously I have spent some time and effort figuring out if that $2 trip is worth it. Setting aside my rampant paranoia about having a tracker on my vehicle. Its worth the 2 dollars to me for the occasional afternoon crossing into Indiana. So I signed up for the paper strip rfid thing and stuck it on my window.
Interestingly enough, at least for the present, is i64w from the St Mathews mall area (Watterson expressway) to downtown. Used to be bumper to bumper and slow as molasses. Now its the speed limit all the way. The 2 lanes from i64w onto I65n keep the traffic from bottle necking. And I65n in the afternoon is also pretty fast and hassle free.

Obviously I have spent some time and effort figuring out if that $2 trip is worth it. Setting aside my rampant paranoia about having a tracker on my vehicle. It worth the 2 dollars for me for the occasionally afternoon crossing into Indiana. So I signed up for the paper strip rfid thing and stuck it on my window. And every time I hit those cameras on the north side of the river. They get to take a picture of my middle finger right next to that little sticker.

 

[GGF]

Interesting post ClydeB. I haven't signed up for the transponder yet because we travel across the bridge so infrequently.
But I did have to go to Louisville last Saturday & I went to the 2nd street bridge and found it to be OK with moderate traffic and a quick trip back to I-65.
I have used the Sherman Minton and found the semi traffic very much increased.

I could use the toll bridges but I refuse.

It's gonna' be a PITA to go to KY for the rest of my life!

GGF