As millions of Americans plan to hit the open road for the long Memorial Day weekend, a proposal in President Trump’s first budget is getting attention for the costs it could add to motorists’ road trips.
Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that one part of Mr. Trump’s plans for federal infrastructure spending call for loosening federal restrictions on states regarding the tolling of interstate highways.
It’s just one of a package of reforms aimed at improving the nation’s infrastructure while seeking to public financing for the project.
“The administration’s goal is to seek long-term reforms on how infrastructure projects are regulated, funded, delivered and maintained,” said the White House said in a fact sheet sent to the media, Bloomberg reported. “Providing more federal funding, on its own, is not the solution to our infrastructure challenges.”
Back in January, The Hill reported that expanding tolling options was one policy change being considered by the then-incoming Trump administration.
“If he moves forward with an infrastructure plan and there are tax incentives to investors, that could bode well for more investments in new toll facilities,” Patrick Jones of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association said, The Hill reported at the time.
Other proposals in Mr. Trump’s budget look to privatizing some functions currently run by the government and/or to expand tax incentives for private firms in crucial infrastructure.
For example, one proposal in Mr. Trump’s spending plan calls for privatizing the nation’s air-traffic control (ATC) operations. Canada made with a similar move with its air-traffic operations in 1996.
In another proposal, the Trump White House aims to remove a current $15 billion cap for tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds, which help finance public-private partnership deals for building highways and freight transfer facilities, Bloomberg reported.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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