Mass. Considering Tolls, Rush-Hour Fees, Paper Says

Massachusetts may put tolls on Interstate 93 and toll other state highways during peak travel times, the Boston Herald reported Wednesday.

Citing a confidential draft report from a legislative commission, the Herald said that tolls and a short-term hike in state’s gasoline tax were being touted as solutions to the state’s transportation funding shortfall.
 
Longer-term changes could include introduction of new tolls on I-93 and other highways, as well as methods of charging motorists based on the time of day and distance they travel, the paper said on a front-page story.

Sources told the paper the recommendations were still in flux and may change, but said the commission is offering solutions that could fundamentally alter the way the state pays for transportation over the next 20 years.

Last winter the commission released an initial report that revealed a $15 billion to $19 billion deficit in state funding needed to maintain existing transportation facilities over the next 20 years, the Herald said.