Critiquing Louisville's New Ohio River Bridge Tolls

Many in the urbanism community were shocked to see the scale of the recently completed "Spaghetti Junction" in Louisville, but the tolling system that will fund the project is just as critical to consider.

2 minute read

December 30, 2016, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Joe Cortright provides context to the news about the recently completed Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project, which has quickly gained a level of notoriety thanks to a series of aerial photos of the project's "Spaghetti Junction" released by the Courier-Journal.

According to Cortright, however, "there’s another feature of the new bridge project that we think may be even more egregious than the concrete pasta of the re-built interchange: the new tolling structure that will repay the cost of building the new bridges."

Before explaining the tolling system that will help fund the construction of the bridges, Cortright explains the long planning history that created the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project, but to summarize one main point: the Louisville area now has five bridges crossing the Ohio River. The first problem with the new tolling system is that some of those bridges will be tolled, and some won't.

A larger problem, however, comes from the commuter discount, which creates incentives for driving more frequently, especially toward the end of the month. Then there's the flat rate drivers will pay to cross the river: "since the proposed Louisville tolls don’t vary by time of day, you pay the same price whether you use one of the new bridges at the height of the rush hour, or in the wee hours of the morning when no one else is one the road. This flat-rate tolling structure misses a major opportunity to better manage demand and improve the overall functioning of the transportation system."

Cortright concludes by predicting neither revenue nor congestion will be improved by the tolling system that will go into effect December 30.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016 in City Observatory

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

4 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

5 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA