Rhode Island can now resume its truck-only tolls, the First Circuit Court ruled on Friday. This overturns a previous decision against the state’s RhodeWorks tolling program.
What's happening: The court deemed most parts of RhodeWorks constitutional, excluding some toll caps.
- RhodeWorks was designed to fund road repairs by charging tolls to commercial trucks, not cars.
- Initially, truckers had challenged this program, arguing it was unjust, and a judge in 2022 had ruled in their favor.
The impact: This decision allows the state to resume collecting tolls, adding a critical revenue stream for maintaining infrastructure.
- The state's Attorney General expressed satisfaction, saying it benefits all Rhode Islanders by ensuring road safety and maintenance.
Despite the legal win for Rhode Island, truckers might view this development with concern, given it increases operational costs. The initial lawsuit was supported by the American Trucking Associations due to these concerns.
By the numbers: Rhode Island’s approach to tolling, initiated in June 2018, initially faced stiff resistance for appearing to place undue burden on the trucking industry reported by the Attorney General's press release.
Looking ahead: With this ruling, Rhode Island might make adjustments to toll rates, but the exact toll resumption timeline is yet to be announced.