Congratulations to The Post on your excellent three-part series on tolling Colorado's highways. Your emphasis on the dubious justifications for similar enterprises nationwide is well- placed. Two other significant aspects need to be addressed.
First of all, the Colorado Department of Transportation's Peggy Catlin is wrong in asserting that an environmental impact statement can most likely be avoided by a privately funded toll-lane expansion. The National Environmental Protection Act is the law, and it and the public's interest cannot be avoided by assigning a major highway project on publicly owned right of way to private interests.
Secondly, the only reason tolling is even being considered is because of a revenue shortfall relative to our state's highway needs. Last year, CDOT had revenues of approximately $790 million, of which $424 million (54 percent) came from the state fuel tax. Since CDOT is the only major state department with a constitutionally protected funding source, raising the fuel tax should be considered as a means of raising funds for projects such as the addition of lanes to C-470.
The fuel tax is arguably the fairest tax we have. It is directly related to miles driven, rewards owners of lighter and more efficient vehicles, and non-highway users don't even pay. And this modest increase is certainly a fairer and more equitable way to raise funds for needed highway improvements than by placing tolls on our existing highways.
Edward Stewart Wright, Denver
The writer is transportation chairman for the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Sierra Club.
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