North Carolina lawmakers are considering increasing the number of toll road projects allowed in the state.
A bipartisan bill moving in the state Senate aims to address declining transportation revenue from the gas tax. One provision would double the number of projects where the state can partner with private companies to widen roads or build new ones.
Current law only allows three of those toll road projects, but Senator Mike Woodard of Durham told the WUNC Politics Podcast his bill would allow six.
"We can get roads built faster and the users pay a user fee," Woodard said. "I typically use the Triangle Expressway every day to avoid some of the delays on I-40 when I come from Durham to Raleigh, and I don’t mind paying that 40 cents for a safer, easier, commute that gets me here a little bit faster."
He says lawmakers haven’t yet decided which future projects would be toll roads. The bill would also increase fees on hybrid and electric vehicles.