Toll Charges for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

[TennesseeWalker]

Saw today where they are going to start charging a toll for folks to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is one of the most beautiful highways in the USA, running along the Blue Ridge Mountains near Grandfather Mountain in Asheville, NC.

This is a symptom of a very, very large problem. Services that used to be free (well, paid for by taxpayers from around the country) are now being paid by the end users. I'm sure the right wing is extrememly pleased by this.

A lot of folks who are too cheap to spring for the 3 bucks will use this as an excuse not to view the natural beauty of the area, and thus will not develop an appreciation for the natural wonders of the world. So, in the worst case scenario, a bunch of people never exposed to God's wonderful natural creations will decide that the top of the mountain would look soooo much better with a Wal-Mart nestled snugly between the peaks.

Extra Low Prices and Tax Cuts for all. Screw the wilderness.

[LiberalFighter]

1. If Democrats did this...

Republicans would accuse Democrats of increasing taxes!!

[TennesseeWalker]

2. Nobody's accusing anyone of anything!

That's what's driving me nuts. Everyone is just accepting the transfer of the monetary burden to the end user with absolutely no struggle.

People EXPECT social security to go away now. People expect to pay more for drugs, health care, roads, water, whatever. If you're poor and can't afford it, you're not working hard enough.

The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus is strong with you, young Jedi.

[7th_Sephiroth]

11. tollbooths are a crime

its just a jack plain and simple, and its violateing peoples personal freedoms

[Gringo]

3. That sucks. Just did a tour of the Western half in August.

It was really beautiful. Especially coming from flat-ass Florida...

[IMayBeWrongBut]

4. I rode the whole road once...

With my parents, a few years ago, I rode the entire length or the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a nice sceenic route. From what I understand, it was franticly made during WWII as an inland road just in case we got invaded. Defense spending at it's finest. :)

I imagine that it costs a lot to keep up that road. However, charging people to use it will probably not raise enough to cover the expense. Wonder why they are even bothering.

[mrbill]

5. you may be wrong here...........

The parkway was conceived as a make-work project in 1933 and construction began in 1935.

It was built in sections over many years. The 469-mile highway wasn't conpleted until after 1969 when a right-of-way controversy was resolved in a section near Grandfather Mountain.

10 million people a year, charge em all $5 each, that could run into money fast.

[CO Liberal]

13. I Rode it in 1961

I remember getting on it outside Front Royal, during a thunderstorm. When we got higher up, we were driving ABOVE the thunderstorn, and could look down on the thunderbolts.

[supernova]

15. Wow! Pretty image

I bet that was amazing! :D

[MojoKrunch]

6. Heck, they're thinking about tolling I-95 thru NC.

Can you say "holiday traffic jam"?

I remember visiting NYC over Thanksgiving... stayed at a friends house in New Jersey... the line going back south on the interstate was 13 miles long and moving at a crawl all because of holiday traffic and a toll booth.

Thank Bushbaby and his Repuke Congress.

Mojo

[nuxvomica]

7. I spent many vacations in that area in the past

A great scenic drive on a beautifully designed route. Does this mean that people will have to pay the toll to visit the Folk Arts Center near Asheville? If I recall correctly, it was only accessible via the parkway.

[LTR]

8. An absolutely beautiful road

I last went down it about 20 years ago when I was just a teen. The sheer beauty absolutely took my breath away.

This toll idea sounds pretty neocon-ish. Nature to them is fields of oil wells in the middle of nowhere. Charge for our national treasures. And cut taxes for the wealthy who scam the IRS anyway and incorporate in Bermuda.

But I do see a bright side in all of this. Three dollars is not going to break anyone on a vacation. And it may help pay for upkeep for the road and preservation of the area. I'd be more than willing to cough up $3 or so to drive down an amazing highway. It may even keep down some of the rowdy crowds (if any exist there).

However, this goes to show where our government's priorities are. Bush would rather bankrupt the treasury more by building his Utopia in Iraq then preserving what he calls 'the homeland'. Priorities seriously out of whack.

[supernova]

9. It does suck to pay tolls

I've always been proud of the beautiful highways here in NC, including the BRP that everyone had access to.

But not anymore. :-(

In some ways the Blue Ridge is a victim of its own success. They get many more visitors each year than the park can support: too much pollution (you think that smokey mist is just mist?; and lots of garbage). It's happening on the TN side too.

[underpants]

10. WHAT? $3?!?!? Geez my in-laws use it all the time

They live about a 1/4 mile from it. That is ridiculous.

[bif]

12. God I hate tolls

It's one of the worst thing about travelling in the East. Is Maine still getting rid of their toll roads? We were there a few years qack the the backup at the border was horrible. I heard that they were in the process of eliminating some of them.

[underpants]

14. Delaware still has theirs I think

It's been a while since I went that far north on 95 but Delaware used to have one. Of course you are only in Delaware for about 8 miles and you have ot pay a toll. $3.50 or something like that.

[bif]

16. Chicago to Milwaukee

There's a toll booth about every 5 miles. A one hour trip is at least doubled. Tolls are one thing--but take a ticket when you get on and pay when you get off. Simple concept.And how about the guy in a booth who's job is to hand out a toll card? Is that a make-work job or what?

[underpants]

18. And the stoplights on the on ramps?

My one visit to Milwaukee on the way out I saw that. Very different.

[northzax]

17. they just doubled the tolls in Maryland

It will now cost me 7 dollars just to get to Delaware from DC (another $8.50 in Delaware (including the DMB) 9.80 in Jersey, $6 for the GW (or 5 for the Tappan Zee) 2.50 in New Rochelle. All of a sudden I pay more in tolls to get from my house to Massachusets that I do in Gasoline. That's strange, over $20 each way.

[RobinA]

19. Hell, If The Right Had Its Way

the Blue Ridge would be sold to the highest bidder - probably to a developer. All that prime real estate going to waste, not bringing in any money....