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Sen. Hutchison Files Legislation to
Prohibit Tolling of Existing Federal Highways
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
WASHINGTON -- Today U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
(R–TX) filed
S. 2019, legislation to
prohibit the tolling of existing federal
highways across the country.
“My bill will protect drivers from paying tolls on roads that were
already paid for by taxpayers,” Sen. Hutchison said.
The intent of Sen.
Hutchison’s legislation is to
“prohibit the imposition and collection of tolls on certain
highways constructed using federal funds,”
by blocking the U.S. Secretary of Transportation
(Mary Peters) from approving tolls on
existing federally-funded highways. Under
current law, states can apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation
to place tolls on existing federal highways.
Last week Sen. Hutchison said she would “vigorously oppose” any
effort by TxDOT to toll existing interstate highways through the use of
“buy backs.”
Earlier this year the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) declared they will lobby Congress to allow for the “buy back” of
existing federal highways in Texas for the purpose of tolling.
The legislation specifically disallows states to place tolls on any
federal highways they “buy back” from the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
“I will work with members of the Texas Congressional
delegation and the state legislature to ensure that Texans are never
asked to pay a toll of an existing interstate highway,” Sen.
Hutchison said.
In February TxDOT released their legislative agenda in a
report called “Forward Momentum,” which seeks changes in federal law
that would allow such buybacks for the purpose of tolling interstate
highways, pending approval by local governments.
This legislation is similar to a
previous effort by Sen. Hutchison
to block the use of tolls on existing interstate highways as
part of the 2005 Highway Bill.
The amendment passed the Senate but was stripped
in conference by the House of
Representatives.
Sen. Hutchison is a senior member of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, which sets the budget of DOT.
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