ATA shares new research on truth in tolling

The Arkansas Trucking Association commended the American Transportation Research Institute on its newest research that documents the collection and distribution of toll revenue. The research sheds light on many questions about tolling, including how much toll revenue is generated versus reinvested in toll facilities, and contrasts truck-generated toll revenue versus truck utilization of toll roads.

Arkansas Trucking Association has consistently opposed tolling as a source of infrastructure funding because as ATRI’s study demonstrated toll facility costs are high and a significant portion of toll revenues are subsidizing unrelated transportation costs.

ATRI’s research found that the 21 major toll systems analyzed collected more than $14.7 billion in revenue with nearly 50 percent of toll revenue diverted to other uses. In addition, toll revenue increased more than 72 percent over the last decade compared to inflation growth of just 16.9 percent.

The report includes a first-of-its-kind data analysis to better understand the relationship between interstate commerce and toll road utilization. Through an analysis of truck GPS data, the researchers were able to quantify toll revenue impacts on local truck activity versus interstate commerce.

“Trucking is highly motivated to support the best infrastructure our nation can afford for the safety of our workforce, the success of our economy, and the well-being of all the communities who depend on our trucks to travel the highways, but funding that infrastructure should be smart, efficient and transparent,” said Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton. “The research shows that tolling does not achieve those ends.”

ATRI Key Findings:

  • Toll revenues are up significantly. Toll revenues increased 72.54 percent over 10 years, with $14.7 billion in revenue collected in 2018.
  • Toll costs for trucks exceed other industry cost metrics. Toll costs for commercial vehicles were $0.45 per mile. This is in stark contrast to the $0.146 per mile paid by trucks for federal and state transportation-related taxes and fees.
  • Trucking costs for toll roads are inflationary; toll fees are paid over and above annual federal and state fuel taxes paid by the industry to travel toll roads.
  • Toll facility costs are high. Of the $14.7 billion in total toll revenue, $4.764 billion or 32.4 percent of total revenue was used to cover facility costs.
  • Nearly 50 percent of toll revenue collected is diverted to uses other than the operation of toll roads and bridges.
  • Toll payments are subsidizing transit and non-toll facility related transportation costs.
  • Toll system sample received over $1 billion in cash from other agencies.
  • Tolling impacts interstate commerce. It was estimated that 79 percent of truck trips using toll roads in the study sample were engaged in critical interstate commerce, generating $3.327 billion in toll revenue.

You can request the full report online at TruckingResearch.org.