Our systems are out of whack. The editorial "Heavier trucks vs. the rest of us" (March 30) touched on one of the ways the use of and payment for roads have been skewed in recent years.
The traditional distribution system — products being carried on long haul semi-tractor trailers and then distributed to smaller trucks for delivery to the customer — has been dropped in favor of using the semi-tractor trailers to make the customer delivery.
This puts the big trucks on city streets that were never designed for their size and weight. I often see semi-tractor trailers on streets where they cannot make a turn without driving up onto a curb or median. Their additional size damages roads that were never built to carry that amount of weight in one vehicle, leading to faster deterioration of the streets, that we, the taxpayers, have to then pay to have rebuilt.
You don't really realize that the system is out of whack until you are stuck, waiting for a semi-tractor trailer painfully trying to turn around on a two-lane road because the driver is lost.
We need to enforce road weight and size limits. I do not care to subsidize a trucking company trying to save money.
Another system that is out of whack is the way the state charges for motor vehicle licenses. The age or value of a vehicle has nothing to do with its effect on the roads. The wear and tear on the roads is caused by weight and miles driven. Let's realign the system to price a vehicle license based on those factors.
Let's get rid of the attempts to promote social and economic agendas through licensing fees. Almost every motor vehicle licensed in this state is used for commerce at some point. Almost as many are used for pleasure. Let's get rid of the special price breaks afforded to some vehicles because of the occupation of the owner.
By going to a weight times miles approach for vehicle license fees, we won't have to worry about the type of fuel used to power a vehicle. Let's get the system back in shape by making it fair and simple.
