Despite the overwhelming unpopularity of the idea, the Virginia Department of Transportation proposes to charge a toll for drivers on Interstate 95 to raise money for its upkeep. Around 40 percent of interstate traffic in Virginia occurs on I-95, and the tolls are expected to bring in up to $40 million in revenue by charging drivers $4 each way and $12 for professional truck drivers. VDOT also has plans to put $2 dollar tolls along exit ramps to discourage drivers from avoiding the main road and its toll.
VDOT claims that it needs these unusually expensive toll plazas because $12.1 billion is required over the next 25 years for maintenance work on I-95, but only $2.5 billion will be available. Rural Sussex County has been one of the targeted areas for the proposed toll plazas. Sussex, which is situated near the North Carolina border, is one of the poorest counties in Virginia. While the state’s infrastructure is in need of upkeep, these tolls would serve as a regressive tax to balance the budget on the backs of working-class motorists, truck drivers and the rural poor. VDOT wants to submit its proposals to the Federal Highway Administration for approval this summer. If approved, construction on the toll plazas could begin as soon as next year.
VDOT has ignored other methods of improving I-95, such as public transportation services (for example, express buses) that would relieve traffic congestion and increase safety.
It is possible for Virginia to repair its roads and bridges without robbing working-class drivers. Virginia’s corporate income tax is one of the lowest in the country, and it has not been raised in over 40 years. All corporations in Virginia pay a 6 percent tax regardless of their income, but, due to tax loopholes, over 60 percent of corporations do not pay any taxes in Virginia. These loopholes cost the state $12.5 billion in tax revenue annually.
By raising taxes on the super rich and their corporations and closing corporate tax loopholes, we could maintain Interstate 95 and create jobs. However, under capitalism, regressive taxes are routinely imposed and services such as public transit cut back. Under socialism, workers will manage society’s resources in the interest of the majority and public transportation will be prioritized.
