Roads.

[chowdy]

Hello All,

In the opinion of my fellow Paulites, who has the authority to build and regulate roads? What is the ideal way for funds for roads to be derived?

Thanks,
Chowdy

 

[AutoDas]

Private citizens and companies who receive payment in the forms of tolls.

 

[Kludge]

Private citizens and companies who receive payment in the forms of tolls.

+1. All infrastructure ought to be handled this way. Quality would be kept up through a disincentive to be sued in civil court. Ideally, large corporations would own the roads of entire counties and issue "free-to-drive" passes instead of as a conventional toll road.

 

[Fox McCloud]

+1. All infrastructure ought to be handled this way. Quality would be kept up through a disincentive to be sued in civil court. Ideally, large corporations would own the roads of entire counties and issue "free-to-drive" passes instead of as a conventional toll road.

However, the free-to-drive passes would cost "X" amount of money per year, they wouldn't be totally "free".

That way, if you only traveled in your own county 95% of the time, you would only have to buy 1 county "Free-to-drive", and pay a toll for the rest of the roads....where as if you worked/traveled a lot in 2 counties, you could purchase 2 "Free-to-drive" passes, etc. etc.

 

[Banana]

Would it be necessary to have competition? What about apparently high entry barrier?

For example- what's the point of building another road going to same places if there's already a good road with the most direct route to X destination if only to undercut the price by few bucks and make next to nothing in profit?

 

[Kludge]

However, the free-to-drive passes would cost "X" amount of money per year, they wouldn't be totally "free".

That way, if you only traveled in your own county 95% of the time, you would only have to buy 1 county "Free-to-drive", and pay a toll for the rest of the roads....where as if you worked/traveled a lot in 2 counties, you could purchase 2 "Free-to-drive" passes, etc. etc.

Aye, I meant free as in - free to drive on their roads once you buy their pass, so you aren't paying every time you drive on the road.

Monopolistic competition may or may not occur... It could be that many companies buy many individual roads, forcing you to either navigate around the roads you don't need, or pay each of the companies - But I still can't imagine many companies would get into the "road business".

This may increase demand for the subsidized-to-exist Amtrak, hopefully increasing the quality of their fairly shitty trains. Other alternative methods of transportation may also pop up.

 

[PennCustom4RP]

Private citizens and companies who receive payment in the forms of tolls.

This was discussed in this thread:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=132707
Do We Need Government to Build Highways? - Ron Paul Forums

While the Free Market sounds good, I still have the objection to foreign companies or persons doing this. The companies or private persons must be American. Any foreign entity will essentially own that road, thereby ending the American sovereignty of that land. The road will be foreign soil within the US.

 

[chowdy]

How is it currently handled?