Vision vital in toll-road debate

The toll road debate in Utah has only just begun. A meeting last week among government leaders, trucking industry representatives and environmentalists identified many of the issues that will drive the debate. Soon it will be your turn to weigh in.

Tolls may well be inevitable if Utah is to keep up with its fast-growing population. The west side of Salt Lake County, in particular, is growing so quickly that traffic jams and long commutes soon will be commonplace without the relief of a new major highway. But the state can't afford to approach this new way of doing things without a keen sense of fairness.

The Salt Lake Valley has long been divided by an imaginary line that separates east from west. Originally, the line had to do with income, with wealthier people occupying the east side. That is no longer the case, especially in light of many new monster homes under construction in the southwest portion of the valley. But a psychological line remains.

If the state begins charging a toll for using a new Mountain View Corridor, scheduled for construction along the west side, locals could well ask why they are being charged while people on the east side are not. Truckers, who may want to use the new highway to bypass a more congested I-15, could well ask the same thing.

It may be wiser to make the new Legacy Parkway in Davis County a toll road, since it would be an alternative to the more heavily traveled I-15. That money could then be used to construct other roadways.

That idea has its own complications, however. State lawmakers recently passed a bill making it possible for the state to negotiate with a private company to build a new highway and charge and collect tolls. That might make a toll-sharing plan impractical.

Recent opinion polls show Utahns are not necessarily opposed to toll roads. More than half seem at least willing to consider the idea. The notion that a freeway is free always has been a misconception. Drivers pay for roads in many ways, most notably through gas taxes. A toll road would simply be another user fee, although one that causes a bit of inconvenience.

And no one can argue the state isn't in need of new roads. Officials have said the Mountain View Corridor could be under construction by 2009 under a toll plan. It would be much later if more traditional payment methods were used.

But state leaders need a keen sense of fairness as they proceed down this path, which, despite its long history elsewhere in the country, is a radically new concept in Utah. A series of public meetings is scheduled in May. Go to www.udot.utah.gov/mountainview for more information. Then make yourself heard.