2006-01-24_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

from the Interstates and from competing freight transpoiration modes. Putting more trucks on state roads will exacerbate safety and infrastructure costs, lead to greater highway congestion, accelerate fuel use and pollution, and require that more taxpayer dollars be spent on highway re-construction. Bigger Trucks are Expensive and Increase Burdens on Average Taxpayers . Damage to roads and bridges caused by bigger trucks is not covered by the taxes that they pay. A recent Federal study concluded: "When LCVs and other heavy trucks do not pay the full costs of their operations, other motorists must make up the difference. This is inequitable to [those] who must subsidize LCV operations." (Western Uniformity Scenario Analysis. US DOT, p. XI-1, April 2004) . According to USDOT, trucks operating at the current 80,000-pound limit pay only 80% of the damage they do. Long, heavy double-trailer trucks and gO,OOO-pound single-trailer trucks pay only about 60% of their costs on average. A 1 OO,OOO-pound, six-axle single-trailer truck pays just 40% of its costs. (Highway Cost Allocation Study, USDOT, 2000) . A 2001 study by the Minnesota County Engineer's Association concluded that there is a $144 million annual shortfall to simply preserve the county state-aid road system. There is a $64 million shortfall in county funds available to maintaining the county road system. Meeting this current need would require an additional 18~ gas tax. Allowing longer and heavier trucks on Minnesota roads would add even more cost. ~:;:;~I:~;;;:~ D l,l)n~&t II Not iiure Most Minnesotans Do Not Want Bigger Trucks . A September 2004 state-wide poll found that 77% of likely voters oppose allowing heavier trucks and 76% oppose allowing longer trucks on Minnesota roads. . This may explain why MNDOT scheduled public hearings for the last week in August with only 2 weeks notice - perfect timing to ensure that most of the public was left out of the process.