EagleTribune.com : Blogs : The Soapbox

And don’t assume your loose change is safe in your pocket, just because legislation has been filed that would block proposed toll increases for those driving into Boston from the North Shore or MetroWest.
Legislators from those two regions are hopping mad over the recent toll increases approved by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority for those entering the city via the turnpike or harbor tunnels. They want a moratorium on higher tolls pending a comprehensive study of the state’s transportation funding options.
Proponents of the toll hikes say even the extra 50 cents collected from every motorist won’t close the gap between revenue and expenses.
And lawmakers have been notoriously ineffective at getting the authority — or MassPort, which operates the Tobin Bridge — to reverse planned toll increases once they are announced.
More deserving of our outrage is the fact that the tolls only apply to those driving into the city, while those driving in the opposite direction get a free ride; and that residents of certain favored communities get passes that allow them to pay less than the average Joe.
It’s not fair, but then fairness has never been a priority at the Statehouse.