WPRO News
In a memo sent on Tuesday, Governor Gina Raimondo amended her proposed truck toll to exempt smaller commercial trucks to accommodate concerns voiced by local truckers.
The Governor exempted class 6 and class 7 trucks from her proposed “user fee.” Those trucks have fewer than 18 wheels and are commonly used by local shipping operations.
Critics of the original proposal like Rhode Island Trucking Association President Christopher Maxwell said the plan punished local businesses.
“The trucking industry, the small business community and the supply chain of Rhode Island that serves our consumers were blindsided by a tolling scheme aimed at using our industry as a scapegoat for fiscal malfeasance and infrastructure neglect,” he said.
“We are against tolling, period,” said Maxwell at a Tuesday morning news conference at his group’s headquarters in Pawtucket.
Raimondo said negotiations were still ongoing but reemphasized that tolls are necessary to fix deteriorating roads and bridges, adding that truckers will benefit from the tolls.
“Truckers need safe roads and safe bridges, and frankly they can’t afford the maintenance on their trucks [on the roads] that we have today,” said Raimondo.
Trucking industry leaders criticized Raimondo for not consulting them about the impact of tolls on trucks, and the governor held out the possibility of changing her toll proposal as the General Assembly opens hearings on the plan.
“We are going to listen to the concerns and work with legislative leaders to see if there are any changes we can make,” she said.
Last week, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello told WPRO’s Gene Valicenti he is supportive of the plan to toll large trucking rigs, but that he wanted to put in language to protect local shipping operations.
The House Finance Committee is set to hear testimony on the proposed tolls Tuesday afternoon.
