Thursday, January 24, 2013

State Rep. Connick Wants Tolls In New Orleans

State Representative Pat Connick (R-Harvey) is drafting legislation to impose tolls on motorists in New Orleans using the Pontchartrain Expressway.

Connick, who fought hard In an attempt to defeat the Crescent City Connection tolls renewal, is proposing an electronic toll system for drivers leaving downtown New Orleans and using Camp, O’Keefe and Calliope streets or the exit ramps on St. Charles Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street. He thinks that this will eliminate some of the traffic congestion on the East Bank-bound Crescent City Connection from the West Bank into New Orleans.  
There are currently three toll bridges in the entire state and all of them impact Jefferson Parish: the outbound Crescent City Connection; the inbound Causeway; and inbound on the LA1 bridge to Grand Isle.

Since Orleans Parish voted to keep the toll on the Crescent City Connection, perhaps it’s time that they paid the brunt of a toll themselves. What do you think?