Lowing Tolls Might Create Gridlock

Re “How About Lowering Tolls for a Change?,” Letters, March 10:

A question often asked is, if the toll agency lowered tolls, wouldn’t that produce more traffic and therefore more revenue? Our riders understand the need to repay the bond debt but want to understand why lowering the tolls is not a solution to debt repayment.

First, traffic would probably increase, but so would congestion. The most important reason to take the toll roads is their speed and convenience. Second, although traffic would increase if the tolls were lower, revenue would not. In fact, lower tolls would not only result in congestion, but a net loss in revenue. The San Joaquin processes about 80,500 transactions per weekday at an average toll rate of $2.32. Cut that in half, and traffic would have to increase significantly to net the same amount of revenue we earn today, revenue that goes toward paying the bonds.

A 150% increase in traffic would cause gridlock during peak travel times, and no one wants to pay money to sit in traffic. Our goal is to retire the long-term bond debt while keeping the roads as congestion-free as possible. Every dollar collected on the not-for-profit toll roads is used to repay the debt and cover operating costs of the toll road system. While there will be periodic toll rate increases (the next one for the main San Joaquin toll plaza is scheduled for 2004), the long-range debt repayment plan will include other structured financial options besides raising tolls.

Orange County’s public toll roads were built at a time when the state had no money to build local highways. In the 1980s, elected leaders knew that if the state could not afford to build roads, Orange County’s growing population would face a future of gridlock. The choice was not whether to build a freeway or toll road, but whether to build a toll road or no road. Ultimately, the toll roads’ financing plan enabled 51 miles of roads to be built without new taxes.

More than 220,000 drivers choose to take the toll road system every weekday. That’s 220,000 fewer drivers clogging our freeways and arterial roads, making it easier for everyone to get to work and better yet, to get home.

Linda Lindholm

Chairwoman, Board of Directors

San Joaquin Hills

Transportation Corridor Agency