OOIDA National Call To Action:
Interstate tolling matter yet to be decided

U.S. House and Senate conferees are continuing their efforts to finalize a version of the highway bill that will go to the president for his signature and enactment into law. Many issues have yet to be debated by the conferees, including the controversial provisions in the Senate version of the bill allowing for widespread tolling on existing interstate highways.

In a recent letter to conferees, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta expressed the Bush administration's support for the Senate's tolling provisions.

Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-MN, said he was "deeply troubled" by the secretary's support of the Senate toll language.

"It is fundamentally unfair to road users to take a road built with their gas taxes and make them pay a second time with a toll," he said.

Energized by the letter, factions supporting the Senate provisions have intensified their lobbying efforts. Groups representing state DOTs, road-building companies, environmental groups and public transportation authorities would like states to be able to toll all interstate roads and to use toll revenue for a variety of purposes other than highway construction and maintenance.

Opposition to the expansion of interstate tolling

Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, recently stated, "There is no doubt that converting federally funded highways into toll roads will have a devastating economic impact on small-business truckers, the entire trucking industry and in turn, the nation as a whole."

OOIDA and other highway user organizations are adamantly opposed to the Senate's tolling provisions. Spencer asserted, "We strongly urge highway bill conferees to accept the House's FAST fees language (the 'Kennedy Amendment') or accept no tolling provision at all."

OOIDA is asking members to fax, write e-mail and call their elected officials and urge them to reject provisions in Section 1609 of the Senate bill that allow states to begin collecting tolls on existing interstate highways.

The association opposes all new highway tolls except those proposed in Section 1603 of the House bill. The tolls provided for in Section 1603 are acceptable to OOIDA members because they are voluntary, may only be used to fund the construction of new highway lanes and will expire after paying for the construction of those new lanes. Therefore, OOIDA opposes Sections 1604, "Toll Feasibility," and 1605, "Use of Excess Funds," of the House bill, and opposes Section 1609 of the Senate bill, titled "Toll programs."

Sample letter and contact information

OOIDA urges truckers to call and write your U.S. elected officials at their Washington and/or local offices as soon as possible.

Click here for a sample letter that can be used to contact your senators and representatives.

Lawmakers will be home for their "summer district work period" from the last week in July until the first week of September (July 26 - Sept. 3). During this time, they will attend political conventions and campaign in their home districts. This is an excellent time to talk directly with your elected officials in their district offices and at local public events.

To find out when your lawmakers will be in their offices and where they will be appearing (parades, fairs, festivals, etc.), simply call their local office and ask. This is a great opportunity to make sure your lawmaker knows how important this issue is to you. Take advantage of it.

You won this issue when it came up in the House just a few months ago, and you can do it again now with the conference committee.

For information on how to contact your lawmakers, or if you are not sure who your lawmakers are, phone the OOIDA Membership Department, they'll look up the information for you. The toll-free number is 1-800-444-5791. You can also visit www.congress.org, www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. The U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 will connect you to your representative and senators' office (just provide them with your zip code). If you're home, try looking in the blue government pages in your local phone book or call local information.