LANSING – As the Legislature grapples with how to pay for fixing Michigan's crumbling roads, one suggestion could have drivers confronted with toll booths along Michigan’s roadways.

State Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton, offered an amendment to the state Transportation budget Thursday that would direct the Michigan Department of Transportation to do a feasibility study on toll roads in the state.

"I've heard for a very long time from constituents back in the district when I was working at the local level — people asked, 'why don't we have toll roads in Michigan?' " she said. "It might be a future opportunity for us, but I do think we need the deep dive into it."

Joining the 35 other states in the nation to charge tolls on some of their roads is something that Michigan has considered, but ultimately disregarded for a number of reasons.

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More:GOP wants to explore selling Blue Water Bridge, other assets to fix Michigan roads

The state studied creating toll roads between Toledo and Bay City and Detroit and Chicago back in 1951. But the two thoroughfares ultimately became federally funded I-75 and I-94. And federal law prohibits conversion of interstate freeways to toll roads. There was also a fear that tolls would put a damper on tourism in the state.

As federal funds for roads has decreased, other states have opted for toll roads to help boost funds to maintain and improve roads. According to a 2015 study done by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, $13 billion in tolls was collected on 5,932 miles of road in 35 states.

With Michigan facing a road improvement tab of $2.5 billion a year, many new suggestions have come up in the House of Representatives’ version of the transportation budget, including:

Selling state assets, such as the Blue Water Bridge that connects Port Huron and Sarnia in Canada, welcome centers along Michigan’s highways, and state-owned airports and airplanes

Shifting the 6-cent sales tax on gasoline to a fuel tax and putting all that money toward road improvements

Stopping the state from investing any money into the Gordie Howe Bridge, even though Canada is reimbursing Michigan for all of the state’s costs for the project

The House passed the transportation budget Thursday on a party-line 57-52 vote, with Republicans supporting the plan and Democrats opposing it.

"We started this process with the same idea in mind that every penny paid at the pump needs to go to our roads," said state Rep. Shane Hernandez, R-Port Huron, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "And this budget achieves that. Without a tax increase in this budget, we have an additional $850 million dollars for our roads."

Speaker of the House Lee Chatifield, R-Levering, described the House passage of the budget as a good first step."I've always said this was going to be our first step in the conversation," he said. "I look forward to taking a second step in the negotiations starting next week with the governor and the Senate."

Democrats weren't as optimistic about the final budget.

“When I heard the governor’s plan, I had sticker shock. We know how sensitive people are to the price of gasoline. But guess what, our people want the darned roads fixed and they’re willing to pay for it,” said state Rep. Brian Elder, D-Bay City, referring to Whitmer’s proposal to raise the gas tax by .45 cents a gallon to pay for road fixes. “But this bill represents a failure. There is no compromise. There is no cooperation. This bill is nothing more than a shell game.”

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.