Study may determine whether the region will see more tolls

While casino-financed roads would be a great deal for myself financially, as I have no intention of stepping foot in one, it's really hard to deny the negative social impact of gambling. Turning this region into Virginia's Vegas, or even a pre-Katrina Biloxi, is about the only thing that would be more motivation to move far away than a toll on the Downtown Tunnel or property taxes continuing to skyrocket.

First, have you ever looked at the License Plates at Oceana, Norfolk, Little Creek, and Dam Neck? More then half are VA Plates, you know what that means? That means they Pay VA State Taxes and all the rest. I've worked at all four locations as a contractor as recently as last year. Also, the spouses that work (more then 50% of them work)in VA HAVE TO PAY VA STATE TAX. No getting around it. Also, to those in the Military that rent instead of own (which they would have to pay State Taxes on the Real Estate) are still paying VA Real Estate Taxes because the owner of the property has to pay property taxes. Please stop spreading the fallacy that the Military does not pay taxes in this state.

Tolls are just another form of tax. You guys never learn, keep voting in these liberal democrats are we are going to be taxed to death. The same people complaining are the ones who voted for Kaine and Webb and you all will probably vote for Hillary or Obama too!!!

$3.50 a gallon gas, tolls everyday, how soon before we can't afford to go to work anymore?

I'm out of words to describe my disdain and sheer hatred for our local and state governments. This taxation authority was unconstitutional to begin with and now they're blowing more of OUR money on a stupid study, that any Hampton Roads commuter could have done for free, to figure out where there is congestion. Did anyone else see that they want higher fees at these ridiculous tolls for peak commuting hours? That means that lower tier workers who have no power to change their schedules will pay the most. Higher end jobs allow more flexibility and therefore ability to choose to travel during the non-peak hours. How much more does Hampton Roads want to beat and abuse the poor and middle class? How much more can we take? I, for one, can't take any more.

A number of critical transportation improvements in Virginia, particularly in the eastern "urban crescent", are desperately needed. Delaying them further will raise their cost in the future. These improvements must be paid for by borrowing money and/or raising revenue. Raising as much of the money by increasing revenue would be preferable to preserve Virginia's excellent bond rating. Tolls are a tax on drivers in effect if not in name, just like the soon-to-be-repealed abusive driver fees. Even if electronic toll collection is supported, that infrastructure must be built and drivers must be made to use it. Some "traditional" cash collection infrastructure must also be provided, at least initially, to allow some drivers to pay with cash. And that will increase congestion on toll roads. Meanwhile, raising the Commonwealth's fairly low gasoline tax by a small amount and dedicating it to transportation improvements would raise the same revenue with no additional infrastructure required. Yes, it would spread the burden to all Virginia drivers vs. users of specific roads - in effect, be a more generic "road user fee" than tolls. Rural residents might object, though urban reside

If you didnt vote, don't complain. If you didnt feel your voice wasn't necessary while voting for someone to represent you, then what makes you believe your voice is any more important now? Because you disagree?

Jeesh! You didnt care who was representing you?

This is what happens when less that 19% of the registered voters turn out for local and state elections.

I can see it now....I'm gonna be stopped in traffic at one of those new tolls, looking over at an empty HOV lane, and get rear ended by a truck with bull balls on it! Now that's a bad day!

Hey, Bill, do you really, really believe that the military is exempt from taxes in Virginia Beach? Ask the Virginia Beach military homeowner, resident or not, if there's a form they fill out to exempt them from paying the real estate tax. It doesn't exist. When a military family goes out for dinner in Virginia Beach, they're not exempt from the 5 percent food tax, nor does the city exempt military from paying tax on their phone bills. While a non-resident military person living in VB doesn't pay state tax, they pay their fair share of taxes to the city.

Concerning the tolls, all you fools who sat back without complaint while the General Assembly passed HB 3202 last year, you're getting what your apathy deserves. Live with it!!

This is a scare tactic to get more support for an increased gas tax. We will be led to believe that there are only two options to raise the money for transporation improvements ---- a gas tax increase or tolls. The idea of tolls will (already is) scare the bejabbers out of enough people that they will finally succumb to supporting a gas tax increase.

Hmm. . . I love this, a transportational taxing authority, not elected by the citizen, spending the money of the citizens, to find new ways to get more money out of the citizens..

WOW, what a way to drive, (no pun intended), people to another state!

Just the thought of the cost to build toll booths and maintain them boggles my mind. Let's see, they'd have to create a separate authority to the tune of x million dollars just to research the best way to build one. Then they'd have to raise taxes anyway so they can pay to build before the toll revenue starts coming in. Then they'd raise taxes to pay for the EZ Pass system, etc...etc....

And whoever said EZ Pass won't cause traffic problems hasn't sat in rush hour traffic on Powhite Parkway in Richmond at their toll booths. And they don't have half the traffic problems we have. Tourists don't typically have EZ Pass so imagine the toll booths during the tourist season.

Bring on the Casinos! I love that idea!

I've been a resident of Virginia Beach since 1982. I enlisted in the Navy (1992) and stationed in NWS, Earle, NJ from 1993-1996 and was stationed back here at NAS Oceana '96-'99. I could hear the applause when the Toll Roads came down and now our Cranial-Rectumitis Governors want to bring the toll roads back here? Hellloooo, did they do a survey here to find out traffic is already horrible because of the Military and too many people...not enough roads is a total disaster and we have NO "METRO" here to alleviate the traffic burden. I've always stated the HOV Lanes are a waste of money. Nobody car pools here because of their individual schedules and if people want to use the HOV they should create a HOV Pass to pay for annual membership. It's that simple. The Military doesn't pay taxes here and the Military makes up over 70% residency here in Hampton Roads. That means 30% of the "locals" get penalized with higher taxes because the Military is EXEMPT from paying anything. The wages are so far BELOW poverty level it would serve Hampton Roads right if the locals would MOVE OUT of Hampton Roads and then try getting taxes from the Navy/Miltiary here. Good luck.

Republicans must be so proud that the tolls, new taxes and bloated bureaucracy they approved in the roads bill are looking more and more likely.

Only a Moron would think tolls are a viable solution to rasing money for road repairs. First of all the expense and upkeep/employees I. E administrative costs is huge. Not to mention will create massive traffic jams. Also these funds are for al roads. So to be fair to folks who have to drive thru tunnels to get to work (would have the burdon to pay the bill.) Folks who use roads and are fortunate enough to not have to pass thru a tunnel would not pay a share The only way is to increase the gas tax. No new toll booths no new employees and we all share the cost. This is a no brainer.. 300,000 to tell us this. Why do we elect such idiots to office? There should be a Brain Scan and Common Sense Test given to all elected officals as many are just ignorant or stupied. Wake up Hampton Roads we need new city and state government.

And BTW, I'm not charging $300,000 for this either: 1) Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, 2) Route 44 (to us old timers), 3) Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge, 4) Midtown Tunnel, 5) Monitor-Merrimack Memorial Bridge Tunnel, 6) James River Bridge, 7) Chesapeake Expressway (meaning don't remove the tolls), 8) Jordan Bridge (meaning don't remove the tolls), 9) SE Parkway and Greenbelt (if it's ever built), and 10) The fourth Crossing (the real third crossing folks is I-664). Is this list everything? No. Is this list perfect? No. Would you vote me out of office if I was a politician? Yes. There's no such thing as a free lunch folks! Do you need the 5 MPG SUV? No. Quit complaining!

..complained about tolls years ago, They disappeared. Now they want them back(law makers) and to boot, spend 300,000 bucks to do a study. One writer "hit the nail on the head" concerning money and jobs: CASINOS! The Connecticut casino Mohegan Sun? Its first year of business and its "payout" to the state was to the tune of 50 million dollars. Plus the 40,000 jobs AND the NEW school buses AND the increase in teacher salaries AND a PROPERTY TAX DECREASE. Should I go on? No? Ok, I forgot. "ya'all good ol boys and strict christians" won't allow gambling. Like I said in earlier posts. In 10 years this place will resemble a third world urban slum. Good Luck!

Just hike gas taxes and be done with it. We won't incur the expense and inconvenience of building toll booths, we wont have to pay employees to man them, and traffic won't bottleneck at them.

This stinks - local and state governments don't have a clue how to manage money. Just spend until it's gone, then tax some more. If Virginia were a business, it would have folded years ago. Politicians, here's a tip: you probably have smart people (accountants, engineers, etc) working for you. Listen to them!

A regional gas tax spreads the pain among all drivers, including transients and tourists. We'll complain about it, but most of us won't feel a few cents a gallon.

Bottom line is that we are going to get screwed regardless. Let them do it to us with the least amount of pain.

jmo

Contrary to popular opinion there is a way to get money for roads without tolls or taxes. Let the lottery run some casinos as is done in Delaware. Use the profits to fund highways. Only people who choose to gamble, tourist included, would pay for the roads. I doubt if people would mind a third crossing for the port.

A casino would generate money, jobs and tourists. A casino would add to the economy, not take away from it.

Why is no one even talking about it.

Wow, shouldn't we take another look at Governor Gilmore? State transportation and infrastructure improvements ground to a halt after Gilmore ran on the sole platform of removing the car tax. Look at where we are now, facing tolls, an awful alternative no matter how you look at it. That being said, where else do expect the money to come from? There are few options to directly fund our state's transportation needs . . . tolls or taxes. The dreaded car tax was one of the ways to fund our transportation needs. What better vehicle to pay for these improvements than taxes against the end user of the roads.

Hmmmm... $300K to tell us something we already know and/or don't really want to hear. Someone’s getting rich. Bottom line is we want more money for roads and the only way to get it is tolls or an increase in taxes - bottom-line. Citizens want neither. Fact is there are no other options. That said. Citizens would be happier if the government could GUARANTEE that fund would go for what projects they were intended and not diverted to other projects and then have to hear there isn't enough money. Additionally, if you MUST put in tolls be very very very careful lest you forget what Virginia Beach Blvd was like with people trying to avoid a 25 cent toll. The back roads of ever local community will get clogged with people avoiding tolls. We're already paying over $3 a gallon for gas and over $5 for a gallon of milk. With most salary increases not even covering inflation added to that you have more and more people scrapping to maintain their lifestyle. Just some things to think about.

Out of control residential growth, small lots and interior roads that cannot handle the traffic is a large source of the congestion. Remove the car wrecks which are likely caused by tailgating and cell phones use and traffic moves pretty good. We are now paying (and will pay through taxes) for the greed of city councils and their planning commissions. The developers were laughing all the way to the bank (from 1998-2005). The GA has been sitting idle doing nothing knowing full well what was happening. There should be a change from the GA all the way to the local dogcatcher! Vote them all out!

For those of you who don't want tolls.... you have Gov's Kaine and Warner (who you will turn around and elect US Senator next year) to thank for that idea and support. I agree, tolls will be a disaster and cost drivers in so many ways. But I also didn't vote for either of the politicians that proposed and led the idea of tolls. The tolls will never go away until we get someone like George Allen (who removed the expressway tolls when he was Gov) who will propose a real solution.

Electronic tolling won't help because the congestion is already there. You'll still need cash lanes for out-of-towners/tourists, lanes & booths cost money to build and operate, there's nowhere to build them, and they would result in more lanes merging just before the tunnels/bridges, resulting in more delays, accidents, and deaths. Also, it will stunt the regional economy and fracture the region into isolated cities again. New roads in this area have a statewide benefit, so the whole state should be paying a part of the cost, and the rest should come from increased gas tax because it distributes the burden fairly and requires no overhead. Study complete. Can I have some of that $300k now?

A 6 month $300,000 study....gee I wonder why there's a shortage of funds and a need to raise taxes. This use to be a great area to live and raise a family. In two years my work here is done and I'll be moving. I'm sick of the politics and complete disregard for the interest of our citizens.

Have the idiots forgot the backups and traffic conjestion that stopping to pay tolls created. I guess the answer to that is that everyone will buy monitors so they can just drive through. Unfortunately, that will not happen. Just raise the tax on gasoline and be done with it. I promise to campaign against every politician from the local or state level that supports these tolls. We must VOTE THEM OUT!!!

The problem lies with the sytem of Pay Raises, just think about this. Everytime someone gets a raise up go the prices of products from said companies and it has been snowballing from way back when soda was 25 cents a bottle. The government also plays a major part as well as they want to spend spend spend and have gotten very greedy as well with all the spikes in assesments and taxes every time they get a chance as that has become the answer for everything latley and it is simply driving people from their homes and area. They build apartments and try to charge outragious fee for rent and they are 80% empty we have more empty homes than ever and they now have Eminant Domain that they can take your home so it is time to stop government from this snowball effect and take back our neighborhoods.

I have five years till my last child is out of college. At that time I'm horse turd and hit the dusty trail "getting out of Dodge". The flaming idiots in charge do not have a clue. Just because a state passes some stupid idiotic law (stupid and idiotic like those that drafted it - and the Gov that signed it) does not mean federal laws go by the way side. Collect tolls on Intrastate roads should go to the maint of those roads - not to something else. People will migrate to local roads to by-pass tolls - then watch the local bozos who passed the tolls complain their city streets are congested.

I'll gladly pay the toll if it will guarantee keeping a lot of the "rift raft" off the roads...those cheap citizens (especially those driving the junkers) will then use the back roads to avoid a toll and leave a lot more space on the highway for me.

How many times have the PEOPLE said in the PAST...WE do not want TOLLS on our Highways, Plain and Simple. We had tolls before and we the PEOPLE VOTED to take them down. Why in Earth do these IDIOTS want us to look like NEW YORK CITY? The Tolls don't work there and they will not work here. If anyone has ever driven to NEW YORK CITY then they would know that the roads are in terrible shape...this is a ploy that we the People will not do or say nothing...If they put tolls on the existing highways then take off the fuel taxes, highways road taxes that truckers have to pay...You watch in 5 years from now they will raise more taxes and higher fees for the toll roads because they (the Politicians) don't know how to save money...they just want to spend and spend...I say NO to any more Pay raises for them or anyone in the Federal or State Employment.