OOIDA Information Update – Wyoming members
February 19, 2010

Heads up, Wyoming truckers! The plan to toll I-80 in Wyoming is on the move. A bill to allow WyDOT to pursue tolls has advanced to the state’s House. Truckers need to contact members of the House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee NOW.

Despite a great deal of concern among many Wyoming residents about the possibility of putting tolls on an existing roadway, the Senate voted 18-12 Thursday to advance a bill – SF35 – that would give WyDOT the authority to charge truckers and others to travel I-80. In addition, WyDOT would be allowed to devise a master plan to study various tolling scenarios.

If given tolling authority, WyDOT would be able to make a formal request to the Federal Highway Administration to set up tolling booths on I-80. And that’s not all! The state would have to fork over $350,000 simply to submit the plan to the feds.

Specific details of the toll plan in SF35 do not include toll rates or where tolls would be collected. The master plan would determine the details.

Tolling the existing highway requires approval by federal authorities, as well as passage at the Wyoming statehouse and the governor’s signature.

Let members of the House committee know you are opposed to efforts to pursue tolls on existing highways built with tax dollars. Wyoming lawmakers must come up with other methods to pay for highway work without putting an additional burden on truckers and others already paying their fair share in taxes.

Make sure they get a needed reminder that trucks already pay a state fuel tax and a federal fuel tax on every mile they run. Tolling an existing highway IS double taxation.

Contact information for members of the House Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee is available by clicking on the names listed below.

Rep. Roy Cohee, chairman
Rep. Stan Blake
Rep. Seth Carson
Rep. Mike Gilmore
Rep. Timothy Hallinan
Rep. Michael Madden
Rep. Robert McKim
Rep. Owen Petersen
Rep. David Zwonitzer