Indiana Eyes Toll Roads
STATEWIDE— The discussion of paying to drive on some Indiana highways continues.
Governor Mike Braun’s administration is seriously looking at tolls as a way to fix roads and cover falling gas tax dollars. INDOT is now studying where and how tolling might work best. With fuel-efficient cars meaning less gas tax collected, the state says it needs new ways to fund highway upgrades.
Fuel taxes produce more than 82% of Indiana’s transportation infrastructure dollars. But Indiana is just 140 miles wide on average, so those who drive through without filling up don’t pay in. And uptake of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles is expected to cost the state millions, jeopardizing maintenance and expansion plans for vast stretches of crumbling asphalt and concrete.
Changes in state law could help get tolling projects off the ground, yet concerns from Hoosiers about affordability are already clear. It’s understood that any move to tolling would be a gradual, multi-year effort, with the ultimate goal of boosting funding for better infrastructure. No decisions are final, but tolling is definitely on the table as Indiana figures out how to maintain its roads for the long haul.
