Do We Need Government to Build Highways?

[Zippyjuan]

There is certainly a growing movement to privatise roads. Tolls are charged to those who use them. If the road is free, everybody can use it and will probably over use it. Just look at highways in New York or Los Angeles. If you pay a fee, you will use the road less. If the road has too much traffic, you raise the toll and the traffic decreases. The owener of the road will charge the toll which maximizes their revenue- either a small toll charged to many people or a higher toll on fewer users. That should lead to less driving and less gas consumption and related pollution. The farther you live from work the more you will have to pay in tolls so you will want to live closer to work then too.

 

[AutoDas]

The market will take care of it. The government has been doing a poor job at it.

 

[MS0453]

I'm not an anarchist, but I think there is too much of a fetish concerning state-construction of highways and roads. I remember reading one time about how in the (early, I think) 19th century, there were somewhere between 25-100 (I can't remember the exact number) companies that dealt with road construction in New York state alone. I've also read things suggesting that there is an overabundance of highways at the moment, because of a government monopoly.

If I find either article, I'd post links.

 

[PeterWellington]

Why couldn't the private sector provide roads? Has the private sector not already demonstrated its ability to provide much more complex products/services?

 

[tajitj]

I do not know about building but not to maintain. A foreign company bought Indiana Tollroad 80/90 for multimillions. That state then gave the counties the highway runs through millions of dollars. It was a very good deal for the small counties. I would be in favor of tollroads as long as they are private roads. State run tollroads piss me off though. That is why we pay taxes.

 

[srps2233]

Do you people even think about the ramifications of what you say for even a minute? If roads were privatized then when the police try to arrest someone because they committed a crime first of all they wouldn't be able to get to him because they'd have to use a private road. When the goddamn mail man goes to deliver your mail you all would shoot him dead for trespassing. If I went to greet my new neighbors and say hello I would be shot for trespassing in their property. Jesus Christ, sometimes I think a lot of you are just insane. Roads are one thing that should not be privatized.

edit: I am in favor of allowing private construction alongside government-built roads, however.

 

[Truth Warrior]

Has the government EVER built a highway, or did/does it just hire someone else to build it? DUH!!!

 

[tajitj]

Do you people even think about the ramifications of what you say for even a minute? If roads were privatized then when the police try to arrest someone because they committed a crime first of all they wouldn't be able to get to him because they'd have to use a private road. When the goddamn mail man goes to deliver your mail you all would shoot him dead for trespassing. If I went to greet my new neighbors and say hello I would be shot for trespassing in their property. Jesus Christ, sometimes I think a lot of you are just insane. Roads are one thing that should not be privatized.

edit: I am in favor of allowing private construction alongside government-built roads, however.

You are not getting the point. The cops have the right of arrest people on private property. The roads would not different than any other business. Laws still apply. I think you do not even understand the issue, to call people insane.

 

[scotto2008]

Road Kill

I do not know about building but not to maintain.

It's interesting how so many shiny new govt projects deteriorate to sh*t.

After the initial vote-getting debut, the market reasserts itself and resources flow back to the things that consumers are truly willing to pay for.

Since "maintenence" is not nearly as sexy politically, the project naturally becomes a burden and an eyesore. Driven on California roads lately?

 

[constitutional]

Do you people even think about the ramifications of what you say for even a minute? If roads were privatized then when the police try to arrest someone because they committed a crime first of all they wouldn't be able to get to him because they'd have to use a private road. When the goddamn mail man goes to deliver your mail you all would shoot him dead for trespassing. If I went to greet my new neighbors and say hello I would be shot for trespassing in their property. Jesus Christ, sometimes I think a lot of you are just insane. Roads are one thing that should not be privatized.

edit: I am in favor of allowing private construction alongside government-built roads, however.

Just because your home is private property, you can't kill someone in it.

Shoot the mailman for trespassing or neighbors for greeting? ugh... Unless roads go through, over, and under your house-- give me some of the stuff you are on.

 

[scotto2008]

You people are nut cases!! Car tires are too important to be left to the private sector. If the govt didn't make tires, companies could make tires out of plastic, wood or anything they wanted to, causing horrible accidents.

Any terrorist could open a tire shop and inflate tires with deadly explosive gases. Car tires could be any shape, size, or substance. A Honda tire wouldn't fit on a Chevy or a Toyota. People in rural areas couldn't get tires because it wouldn't be profitable for companies to sell them there.

No, some things are better left up to the government. Next thing you know, you loonies will be calling for privatization of the shoe service. Don't get me started on that one.

 

[PennCustom4RP]

I think that roadways should be under the purview of the Government, and be public.
If privatized, in a free market, will this be limited to American companies, or will any country worldwide be able to operate the roads? If not an American company, and the road owned by a foreign entity, then the road in effect becomes foreign soil, undermining the sovereignty if the US.
If privatized, will the gas tax paid for road maintenance be rescinded in lieu of the tolls paid? I highly doubt the powers that be in the Government will do away with this tax.
What comes to mind is the PA turnpike, owned and operated by the Turnpike Commission, yet this road is patrolled by State and Local police, triple dipping. You pay for the use of the road, and again with tax dollars pay for the police, and with gas taxes. This road was completed in the 30s and paid for then with the tolls, yet this road has been under repair construction for all of my 43 years, I do not think it will ever end. This road is antiquated, with speed limit slower than the public highways, and the police take advantage of this as a revenue generator with speeding fines. This is the Gestapo Hwy. Certain times of the day there is nothing but traffic. This is the major East West corridor for the State, so we are stuck with it, the State is not building a Public Hwy. I refuse to use the turnpike most times, preferring the country public roads.

 

[cvaldiv1]

Interesting video on the subject.

http://reason.tv/video/show/6.html

 

[amy31416]

I think that roadways should be under the purview of the Government, and be public.
If privatized, in a free market, will this be limited to American companies, or will any country worldwide be able to operate the roads? If not an American company, and the road owned by a foreign entity, then the road in effect becomes foreign soil, undermining the sovereignty if the US.
If privatized, will the gas tax paid for road maintenance be rescinded in lieu of the tolls paid? I highly doubt the powers that be in the Government will do away with this tax.
What comes to mind is the PA turnpike, owned and operated by the Turnpike Commission, yet this road is patrolled by State and Local police, triple dipping. You pay for the use of the road, and again with tax dollars pay for the police, and with gas taxes. This road was completed in the 30s and paid for then with the tolls, yet this road has been under repair construction for all of my 43 years, I do not think it will ever end. This road is antiquated, with speed limit slower than the public highways, and the police take advantage of this as a revenue generator with speeding fines. This is the Gestapo Hwy. Certain times of the day there is nothing but traffic. This is the major East West corridor for the State, so we are stuck with it, the State is not building a Public Hwy. I refuse to use the turnpike most times, preferring the country public roads.

Good questions. I would think that American citizens should be the only owners. We the people would really have to rally to get rid of the gas tax.

And hell yes, the PA Turnpike is a huge scam. Constantly under construction, expensive, tons of cops looking to meet quota and it's dangerous as hell. I always look for alternative routes when possible, and use I 80 even if it's inconvenient. I 80 is a very relaxing drive relative to the turnpike. Though recently they were discussing making that a toll road as well, which would suck incredibly.

 

[Mesogen]

I've got no problem with a gas tax to pay for public roads intended for motor vehicles.
I may be a libertarian, but I'm not an anarchist.
I don't think it's socialist to have SOME public property.
Hell, I think there should be public parks, even National Parks and Federally protected land.
Just don't pay for it with an income tax and we'll be all good.

 

[AutoDas]

I think that roadways should be under the purview of the Government, and be public.
If privatized, in a free market, will this be limited to American companies, or will any country worldwide be able to operate the roads? If not an American company, and the road owned by a foreign entity, then the road in effect becomes foreign soil, undermining the sovereignty if the US.
If privatized, will the gas tax paid for road maintenance be rescinded in lieu of the tolls paid? I highly doubt the powers that be in the Government will do away with this tax.
What comes to mind is the PA turnpike, owned and operated by the Turnpike Commission, yet this road is patrolled by State and Local police, triple dipping. You pay for the use of the road, and again with tax dollars pay for the police, and with gas taxes. This road was completed in the 30s and paid for then with the tolls, yet this road has been under repair construction for all of my 43 years, I do not think it will ever end. This road is antiquated, with speed limit slower than the public highways, and the police take advantage of this as a revenue generator with speeding fines. This is the Gestapo Hwy. Certain times of the day there is nothing but traffic. This is the major East West corridor for the State, so we are stuck with it, the State is not building a Public Hwy. I refuse to use the turnpike most times, preferring the country public roads.

Why should the police be on patrol on these private roads? That would be like staking out your neighborhood.

I've got no problem with a gas tax to pay for public roads intended for motor vehicles.
I may be a libertarian, but I'm not an anarchist.
I don't think it's socialist to have SOME public property.
Hell, I think there should be public parks, even National Parks and Federally protected land.
Just don't pay for it with an income tax and we'll be all good.

Libertarians are not anarchists. If you want public parks, than pay for it yourself. It's not a right to have an acre of land. If you do think the government has a right to build roads then you have no problem with them taking eminent domain over private property for the use of building roads.

 

[PennCustom4RP]

Why should the police be on patrol on these private roads? That would be like staking out your neighborhood..

This is what I am saying, why are the public tax funded police on the private toll road? They are and I feel they shouldn't be. The Turnpike Commission should hire its own police and pay them from the tolls taken for use of the road. But this is not the way it is...hence the triple dipping.