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Senate President Wants To Explore Adding More Tolls In Mass.

BOSTON (CBS) - As if commuting doesn't cost enough in time and stress, how about adding more tolls? "It would be a nightmare," said Victoria Prengel, from Andover. "It's already the worst commute in America!" But state lawmakers are talking about tolls on Interstate 95, 93, maybe Route 1.

"I'm not too much in favor of it," said Heidi Bastin, who lives in Wellesley. "It's already a lot in gas costs if you're commuting over 40 miles each way like I am."

State Senate President Karen Spilka, a democrat from Ashland, brought up the suggestion in a speech Thursday at Boston's Chamber of Commerce. "We should explore the possibility of expanded tolling, including possibly at our borders," she said.

Electronic tolls
Electronic overhead tolling. (WBZ-TV)

She's far from the first to raise the idea. House Speaker Robert DeLeo has said it's worth studying, and lawmakers are considering a proposed bill that would direct transportation officials to look into adding more tolls.

"I don't think we need to raise tolls or taxes," said Governor Charlie Baker, who says Massachusetts already has a healthy budget for transportation improvement projects. "We're going to be talking about almost $19 billion over five years. We've never had $19 billion."

But a startling poll this week showed some locals are so fed up with sitting in traffic, it's driven them to consider relocating. The idea of channeling new toll money into expanding highways and improving traffic flow…does have some appeal. "If it was less congestion, that's always better," said one commuter gassing up his car in Lexington. "I'd gladly pay for that, to get home faster."

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