Rhode Island’s Latest Highway Ranking Underscores Non-Necessity of Tolls

Zero Hedge just released an analysis that Rhode Island has the worst “major public roads”, as of 2017.

According to the report, 53 percent of roads in Rhode Island are deemed to be in poor condition, along with 45 percent in California and 42 percent in Hawaii.

Cue the (very, very short list of) truck toll defenders. “This proves we need tolls!”.

Dead wrong. Rhode Island also has the third highest highway repair spending – “highway maintenance disbursements” – also as of 2017. In fact, Rhode Island per mile infrastructure spending has consistently ranked among the highest in the country while the condition of our roads and bridges continues to rank towards the bottom.

Important to keep in mind with the truckers’ toll lawsuit still very much in play and the high risk that the toll cancer will spread to cars: some of the highest spending per mile has resulted in some of the worst roads in the country. It is crystal clear, accordingly, that the state’s highway and bridge issues are not due to a lack of revenue and that throwing ever more money at the problem will not solve it. Don’t let them tell you otherwise; unlike our slick-talking state officials, the numbers don’t lie.

[Monique has been a contributor to the Ocean State Current and Anchor Rising for over ten years, was volunteer spokesperson for the citizens advocacy anti-toll group StopTollsRI.com for three+ years and began working for the Rhode Island Trucking Association as a staff member in September of 2017.]

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in The Ocean State Current, including text, graphics, images, and information are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the views and opinions of The Current, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, or its members or staff. The Current cannot be held responsible for information posted or provided by third-party sources. Readers are encouraged to fact check any information on this web site with other sources.

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