Resident supports elimination of tolls on Garden State Parkway

I found the article "Toll Elimination May Not Work in New Jersey" to be interesting and informative. However, I disagree with Melverne Cooke’s justification for having tolls.

Tolls are a road tax and as such they represent double taxation since gasoline taxes already cover road maintenance. At best, they are an unfair and inefficient way of raising extra revenues.

At worst, they cause huge traffic delays, waste gasoline, add to pollution, increase accidents and prevent the state from obtaining federal highway money.

Cooke’s argument that 25 percent of toll revenues come from out-of-state travelers as a reason for keeping tolls is poor economics since the elimination of tolls will save up to 40 percent (i.e., more money is spent collecting tolls than is spent on road maintenance, which is the purported reason for tolls in the first place).

Most drivers I have spoken to hate tolls and feel that they only exist because of high-salaried patronage jobs. In addition, E-ZPass will not solve collection problems because it is an expensive and complicated collection system, the cost of which will be borne by the citizens of New Jersey.

Yet none of this is necessary. No driver should have to pay a toll. Many states have already done away with them. It is now up to politicians and the media to support the efforts of Citizens Against Tolls. The elimination of tolls is the right thing to do. It represents fairness, will help the environment and is supported by most drivers, even many who rarely use toll roads.

Scott Ahlers

East Brunswick