Drivers pass through the River Road toll plaza in Rosemont, Ill., in this 2011 file photo. Credit: Associated Press

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The bipartisan voices in the Wisconsin Legislature on the need for user-financed infrastructure in the state could help position the state as a leader on one of the toughest issues facing the national transportation system.

The topic moved into the fast lane recently, with senior lawmakers on both sides of the state Assembly citing toll roads as a solution to the highway funding shortfall, according to local news reports.

"If both political parties say it's time for tolls," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), "I would much rather have people pay for a system that they use."

"Everybody pays their fair share, whether you're an electric car, a gas-operated car, a truck or a bus," said Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha). "The only way we're going to have efficient, strong infrastructure in Wisconsin is if the users pay for it."

This emerging consensus comes not a moment too soon. The federal Highway Trust Fund will be bankrupt in 2015, according to the Congressional Budget Office. And the poor condition of Wisconsin's roads is already costing taxpayers money.

"Driving on roads in need of repair costs Wisconsin motorists $1.147 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs," according to the 2013 Report Card of the American Society of Civil Engineers. And nearly 2,000 of the state's 14,000 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

In written testimony submitted last month to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association called on Congress to give states — including Wisconsin — the "maximum flexibility" to include toll roads in a wider toolbox of highway funding options.

Removing the barriers to tolling would encourage states to begin the massive effort to reinvest in failing highways that are 50 to 60 years old and build new ones. That investment, in turn, will create jobs and help strengthen the economy. Funding today's transportation system requires many solutions, and every funding option should be on the table for states and local governments to consider.

To bring those arguments home in the Badger State, legislators and their constituents should know three key facts about modern highways and modern toll roads:

There are no free roads. Highways need continuing maintenance and upgrading, just like our homes, water mains and power lines. Nobody wants to raise the gas tax, and tolling is a proven, efficient way to keep our roads safe and reliable.

A toll is a user fee, not a tax. Tolls draw a clear, direct line between use of a facility and payment for that use. That makes tolling a fair, precise way to cover the cost of our highways, bridges and tunnels.

Most modern toll roads collect electronically, with cars moving through the facilities at highway speed. There's no need to stop and wait to pay a toll.

These facts help explain the wide acceptance tolling receives in 34 states across the United States. It's time for Wisconsin motorists to test drive that idea for themselves.

Patrick D. Jones is executive director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the worldwide association for toll facility owners and operators and the businesses that serve them.