-
Mar 19, 2008 9:24 pm US/Mountain
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Unofficial Poll Overwhelmingly Pans I-70 Toll
Reporting
Paul Day
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Drivers made it clear Wednesday they don't like the idea of paying $5 to drive Interstate 70.
The proposal by two state lawmakers is aimed at raising enough money to add traffic lanes and ease congestion between the Empire/Winter Park exit and the Eisenhower Tunnel.
CBS4's Paul Day performed a roadside poll that was clearly unscientific, but the results were overwhelming. Day made cardboard signs asking, "Would you pay $5 to drive through the tunnel?" The response indicates the legislative proposal may be dead on arrival.
"No to tolls. Tolls stink. We don't need to pay any more money for tolls," a driver told Day.
Some drivers said they wouldn't mind paying a toll.
"We live in Connecticut. We pay tolls all the time. We're used to paying them," another driver said.
But as traffic crawled past Day's camera position, it was obvious most drivers did not respond -- perhaps for good reason. Charging $5 each way at the tunnel is a simple solution to a complicated problem.
"I'm kind of on the fence about it," another driver said. "If it was for a train to get people up and down the mountain, yes. Otherwise no. "
Still there were those who were dead-set against it.
"On an interstate? I think that's a horrible idea, any interstate. That's what taxes are for," another driver said.
Another driver said a toll of $5 each way is just too much. Instead, he'd be willing to pay once during a round trip. But that won't raise enough revenue fast enough to unsnarl I-70, according to republican lawmakers behind the proposal.
(© MMVIII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)