California tolls support

The University of California Policy Research Center’s report “The Future of California Highway Finance” is big on tolls: “Tolls are an excellent user fee since they provide a direct link between user payments and benefits received. Indeed tolls are probably a more exact user fee than any other finance mechanism now in use.” The report deplores the flight from the user-pays principle implicit in the use of sales taxes and other sources of non-motorist revenue for new roads. And in extolling tolls the report draws attention to the advances in tolling with ETC. (CPRC orders: 510 643 9328)