Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Anthony Foxx: If States Want to Toll Freeways, U.S. DOT Is Open to That

Yonah Freemark at the Metropolitan Planning Council's Connector blog got to sit down recently with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Formerly the mayor of Charlotte, Foxx has been at the helm of U.S. DOT for nearly a year now, but we're still getting to know him.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, formerly the mayor of Charlotte, assumed office nearly a year ago. Photo: Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia
false

Freemark talked to Foxx about a number of topics that are near and dear to the hearts of urbanists. Here's a look at one of the secretary's more intriguing answers:  

Foxx was receptive to the idea of tolling our existing Interstate highways, a practice that is currently banned in many states by federal law: “Given the situation at the federal level with the uncertainty of funding the Highway Trust Fund… we do believe that part of our responsibility is to help states and local project sponsors develop new options, new sources of revenue… We would never tell a state or a local project sponsor to toll but that optionality is increasingly becoming something that states are interested in, and we’ll consider finding ways to help when that’s an option that states want to consider.”

In other words, if Congress, states and local governments develop support for new revenues -- whether that means an increased fuel tax, a vehicle-miles traveled fee or more tolling -- the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is likely not to oppose them. The secretary, moreover, emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships, saying, “We certainly want the private markets thinking about ways to plow their assets into American infrastructure.”

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Wash Cycle caught the transit supervisor of Arlington County, Virginia, parking in the bike lane. Urban Velo shares a first-hand account from someone who biked past the scene of a collision in which a cyclist was killed. And Bike Portland reports that in Oregon, flashing crosswalk beacons are "the safety tool of the moment."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts