By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
With just a few weeks before the election, about 50 opponents of truck tolls staged a rally Tuesday at a truck stop in West Greenwich.
The head of the Rhode Island Truckers’ Association, Christopher Maxwell said he thinks it’s become a key issue in a number of legislative races.
“Every indication I have is that this is A number one on the list of folks,” said Maxwell.
His group, representing truck operators, has criticized the effort by Governor Gina Raimondo to institute tolls on trucks to pay about 10% of the cost of RhodeWorks, her $4 billion effort to repair roads and bridges. The 10-year plan was recently endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.
“We’d like to say that we need pelts on the fence of the General Assembly to send a message that we no longer will tolerate this sort of governance,” Maxwell said.
“This is our chance to really take back our government,” said Rep. Sherry Roberts, a Republican representing Coventry and West Greenwich, who organized the rally at the Travel Centers of America truck stop off Interstate 195.
“Join our cause to try to stop politicians from spreading these tolls like a disease across the Interstate system,” said Lisa Mullings, President and CEO of Virginia-based NATSO, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators.
Also speaking at the rally were Sen. John Pagliarini (R-Portsmouth, Bristol, Tiverton), Sen. Leonidas “Lou” Raptakis, (D-Coventry, East Greenwich).
