Back from Europe and traffic is not much better there than here

After a brief vacation, I returned to our small state only to face the usual barrage of traffic this morning. According to a news report tonight, fellow commuters (Delawareans included) sit in traffic nearly a week out of every year. What a waste of time for everybody. To relieve this traffic problem, many larger cities have enacted carpool lanes, or limited access pay roads that have charges that vary with the time of day. While Delaware has neither the infrastructure or population to warrant this type of change, the problem is still enough that maybe we should start thinking about more seriously about it.

Since an election year is coming up, I'm sure there will be an absence of tax talk for a while, at least in the more traditional senses. Instead, I offer two ways to generate income without raising the state income tax. I give these ideas in response to the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council is projecting as a ten percent drop in revenue for the annual budget and that signs continue to point to a general slowdown in the Delaware economy.

While I save the merits of building a larger Septa-type rail system to transverse the distance from Wilmington to the beach along the old railroad lines for another day, we could do something along the lines of modifying the tolls on Route 1 to be more similar to the Pennsylvania turnpike. Depending on how long you were on it, your toll would vary. This modified toll system would also have the benefit of generating income similar to, if not more than the 60-cent-per-pack cigarette tax that was passed last year. Plus you would have to hire some union workers to work these new toll booths, so that would put a few more people to work.

My second suggestion for whoever winds up getting the nomination for either party would be to consider upping the fines for traffic violations and other minor misdemeanors. I think running a stop sign now costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 plus costs, and if one of the red light cameras gets you, it's $75. Doubling or tripling these fines may have the dual purpose of deterrence and income generation at the expense of those who break the law. Obviously it works for all of the beach towns with their speed traps...

Tags: delaware economic and financial advisory counsel projections, delaware recession talk, charging more on route 1, toll increase on route 1, ideas to make delaware better, ideas of raising income in delaware