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Rhode Island Truck Tolls Stalled for Now

UPDATED -- A recently amended proposal to charge tolls for trucks crossing bridges in Rhode Island may not be included in the state budget, according to local reports -- but it could be addressed by the legislature in a special session.

by Staff
June 5, 2015
Rhode Island Truck Tolls Stalled for Now

 

2 min to read


UPDATED -- A recently amended proposal to charge tolls for trucks crossing bridges in Rhode Island may not be included in the state budget, according to a report from WPRI 12 -- but it could be addressed by the legislature in a special session.

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Rhode Island House Rep. Nicholas Mattiello indicated that the proposal in its current form wouldn’t make the state budget because of concerns for local businesses that might be affected by the change. This stands in stark contrast to his stance only a week ago, in which he supported the state's governor and her $4.8 billion RhodeWorks plan.

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Proposed by Gov. Gina Raimondo as a way to pay for the state’s crumbling system of bridges, the toll would only affect medium- and heavy-dutycommercial vehicles. The trucking industry came out against the proposal immediately, saying that it unfairly targeted commercial vehicles.

In response to some of the concerns, Raimondo amended the proposal, scaling back the extent of tolling and narrowing which trucks could be affected, including focusing on Class 8 and above vehicles. The Rhode Island Trucking Association attacked the modified plan, as well.

“I applaud the governor for her proposal to fix our state’s roads and bridges,” said Mattiello, according to WPRI. “However, I am not ready to take action on the tolls at this point. I have numerous questions that need to be answered, including addressing the impact on Rhode Island’s businesses.”

However, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed told NBC 10 News on Friday that a proposal to put a toll on trucks in Rhode Island is important enough that the General Assembly could come back for a special session to consider it.

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