I just found this 5-year-old video link about our toll roads.

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-Pjackso

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So there's 2 lines of thought regarding toll-roads:

1) Toll roads are good. It's a means of constructing new roads without impacting the state budget. The cost of the tolls recoup initial constructions costs, maintenance costs, and also includes some extra for constructing new toll-roads. The only people paying for the toll road are the people that use it. The people that don't use it - it doesn't cost them anything. From that perspective, it sounds good.

2) Toll roads are bad. The state DOT is already publicly funded to maintain roads. Toll-roads are essentially the state double-taxing certain people (the ones using it) for the purpose of utilizing the roads that the public already funded (tax). If the ODOT budget isn't enough to manage the state roads then the ODOT budget is what should be addressed. From the public tax funded perspective - I've already paid for the road, so why pay again?

So I understand both perspectives. But what about the long-goal?
If people just accept toll-roads - and the state can just build new toll roads whenever/wherever they want (i.e. more revenue collection!!!!) - when does it all end? Is it ok for 100% of roads to be toll roads? Because I could certainly see the state pushing this as far as they can.

Who voluntarily gives up a cash cow for free?
 
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AlongCameJones

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I should think my 9% grocery tax in Lawton should pay to keep my city streets baby-bottom smooth. It seems that there are so many police cars in this town one can practically trip over one walking his dog through the neighborhood, that is if a street pothole doesn't trip him first. Many of the sidewalks in this town are buckling too. Where do my tag-agency car registration fees go? Where does my tax on gasoline go?

Will the Lawton mayor start charging tolls to fix the streets here?

This article says Oklahoma roads are among the roughest in the nation. I have driven on just a few OKC streets and they seem smooth as a baby's bottom compared with most streets in Lawton. The streets on Fort Sill are smooth but that is under federal jurisdiction.

https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5612155/rough-ride-survey-says-okc-roads-among-worst-in-nation
 
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