The "Freedom from Tolls Act," introduced by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), would limit the spread of tolling on federal highways.


The bill (S.1115) would prohibit states, private entities and private-public partnerships from adding tolls on existing federal highways, bridges or tunnels built with federal funding.

"I believe taxing Americans twice for the same asset is fundamentally unfair, and I oppose any effort to place tolls on existing interstate highways," said Sen. Hutchison. "As we work to meet our transportation needs, we must think broadly and avoid band-aid solutions, like tolling, that will ultimately exacerbate congestion and divert traffic into residential neighborhoods and onto smaller, less safe roads."

Sen. Hutchison's legislation would prevent states, private entities, or private-public partnerships from adding tolls on existing free federal highways, bridges, or tunnels built with federal funding. Furthermore, the bill would prohibit states from attempting to purchase highways from the federal government and place them under state ownership or lease them to foreign investors for the purpose of tolling them. The legislation does not prohibit tolls on new construction.

The American Trucking Associations announced its support of the measure. "Highway users have paid for these highways through fuel taxes," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Additional tolling on our National Highway System is nothing more than an ill-conceived quick fix for transportation funding shortfalls."

Referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the legislation does not prohibit tolls on new construction, and also exempts the conversion of HOV lanes to toll lanes from the prohibition.

"ATA supports the continued reliance on fuel taxes as the primary means of funding much needed strategic investments in highway freight transportation," said Graves. "The trucking industry has long opposed additional tolling on any existing highways or roads because collecting fuel taxes costs far less than any other proposed alternatives, making it the most efficient way to fund highway projects," said Graves.