Toll Roads Of The Future

"Interstate 15 running north from San Diego is more than a ribbon of asphalt carrying up to 295,000 vehicles a day. It's a glimpse at the future -- a highway that combines traditionally free lanes with toll lanes to give drivers an option when the traffic gets bad. It is, at once, a solution for easing the worst traffic congestion, raising money for cash-starved roads and a big step toward bringing more timesaving, high-technology tools to daily driving.

The difference from old tolls? The new system combines the latest technologies with good, old capitalism -- putting a price tag on a bit of uncongested roadway. San Diego's version nudges drivers to car pools and to mass transit, with part of its revenues going for high-speed buses that designers promise will outperform trains."