Life in the Fast Lanes?

The Small Business Times Reports:

How much would you be willing to pay to get out of a traffic jam on Milwaukee's congested freeways? A new study by transportation experts is proposing the construction of a new tollway of "Fast Lanes" throughout southeastern Wisconsin's freeway system. The study contends that the state's planned $6.2 billion freeway modernization would provide only a temporary fix for the region's growing traffic congestion.

According to the study, a network of variable-priced toll lanes, if included in the plan, would permanently offer buses and emergency vehicles free access to lanes that are guaranteed to move at the maximum speed limit, and tolled access to the same uncongested lanes for automobile drivers who are willing to pay a fee.

Those are among the recommendations in a new report, "Adding Fast Lanes to Milwaukee's Freeways: Congestion Relief, Improved Transit and Help with Funding Reconstruction." The report was compiled by the Reason Foundation, an independent think tank, and Kevin Soucie, a former state legislator and a transportation consultant at Milwaukee-based Soucie & Associates.

The authors of the report are proposing a network of toll lanes that would encompass the approaches to downtown on Interstate 94, Interstate 43 and U.S. 45.

I heard this proposal was coming, but I don't think there is much here except a mere idea. I guess it's the ultimate 'user fee,' but I am not to hot on the concept of having two tiers of infrastructure.

The price to use the Fast Lanes would vary with demand, meaning drivers would pay higher prices during rush hours and much lower rates at off-peak times. Drivers wouldn't need to slow down to make payments and there would be no toll booths. Instead, all payments would be made electronically, via windshield-mounted transponders.

The full report is available on line at www.reason.org/ps342_FASTlanes.pdf.