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Virginia drivers who rack up hundreds of dollars in tolls each month could receive free trips after reaching a proposed monthly cap, but the plan may cost the state at least $110.4 million a year.
A House Transportation subcommittee advanced House Bill 2368 for further review this week. Sponsored by Del. Candi Mundon King, D-Prince William, the bill would waive tolls for Virginia drivers using an electronic transponder after their monthly charges reach $200.
The measure would also eliminate tolls for residents receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. To discourage abuse, drivers would be prohibited from sharing transponders to reach the cap and qualify for free trips.
King said the proposal could help commuters struggling with Northern Virginia’s high transportation costs. Her district includes about 42,000 disabled veterans, and some drivers pay between $25 and $65 each way for the roughly 29-mile trip between the Pentagon and Dumfries.
“If you’re a Virginia resident, you’re paying taxes in Virginia, you’re doing everything that you’re supposed to do, and then [you are] paying in perpetuity to ride down [your] own roads, it’s just getting to the point with the high cost of living where it’s a burden for people,” King said.
Relief Comes With Contract and Revenue Risks
The Department of Planning and Budgeting estimates that the proposal would cost at least $110.4 million annually. The subcommittee recommended referring the bill to the House Appropriations Committee, where lawmakers would examine its financial effects and determine how costs would be divided between state-operated and privately managed toll facilities.
Transportation officials warned that the measure could interfere with agreements involving the Federal Highway Administration and private toll operators. Lost revenue might also lead to higher tolls for other drivers.
According to the department’s fiscal analysis, declining toll revenue could make it more difficult for public agencies and private companies to meet debt obligations connected to high-occupancy toll and high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
Virginia’s reliance on private toll-road operators has already drawn legislative scrutiny. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission examined the state’s public-private transportation partnerships last summer. Those agreements allow private companies to operate and earn revenue from toll roads while controlling access and setting prices based on factors including vehicle type, weight and axle count.
Supporters and Toll Operators Clash
Rhena Hicks, co-executive director of Freedom Virginia, was the only person to speak in favor of the bill during Tuesday’s hearing. She urged lawmakers to move it forward and accused corporations of “price gouging” people commuting to work and school.
Transurban and other opponents said the legislation could disrupt existing financial arrangements.
David Skiles, a Transurban lobbyist, said the bill would affect the comprehensive agreements between private concessionaires and Virginia. He also warned that it could affect financing for major Northern Virginia infrastructure projects, including the Long Bridge and the Silver Line Metrorail expansion, which rely on toll revenue.
King acknowledged that the funding structure is complicated but rejected the suggestion that administering the program would be impossible.
“This is complicated, but I believe that if a company that can scan my license plate and send me a bill without me ever giving them any information can certainly figure it out,” King said.
Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, countered that Virginia must honor its contracts with private toll operators. He argued that road users, rather than taxpayers across the state, should bear the cost.
“We’ve entered a contract here, we have an obligation and if people use that road, in my opinion, [they] are the people who should have to pay for it, not everyone within the commonwealth,” Austin said. “I appreciate you bringing the bill, the compassion for you and everyone who lives up there, it’s tough to get around. So trust me, I know that.”