E.B. resident supports toll elimination

I found Nicole Vaccaro’s article titled "Toll Elimination May Not Work in New Jersey" (Sentinel Aug. 2) to be interesting and informative. However, I disagree with Melverne Cooke’s justification for having tolls.

Tolls are a road tax and, as such, they represent double taxation since gasoline taxes already cover road maintenance. At best, they are an unfair and inefficient way of raising extra revenues. At worst, they cause huge traffic delays, waste gasoline, add to pollution, increase accidents and prevent the state from obtaining federal highway money. Cooke’s argument that 25 percent of toll revenues come from out-of-state travelers as a reason for keeping tolls is poor economics since the elimination of tolls will save up to 40 percent (i.e., more money is spent collecting tolls than is spent on road maintenance, which is the purported reason for tolls in the first place).

In addition, E-ZPass will not solve collection problems because it is an expensive and complicated collection system, the cost of which will be borne by the citizens of New Jersey.

Many states have already done away with them. The elimination of tolls is the right thing to do. It represents fairness, will help the environment and is supported by most drivers, even many who rarely use toll roads.

Scott Ahlers

East Brunswick