Transportation Plans, Toll Changes Span Regions

Transportation agencies and governments are weighing major funding and policy changes, from local transit to roads and regional transit systems. Toronto’s new council faces pressure to improve service and ridership amid large operating and capital needs, while fare freezes and new fare caps remain central to its approach. Michigan approved a 2027–31 plan projecting $19.4 billion in state and federal transportation investments, mostly for highway repairs alongside public transit, rail, ports and aviation. In North Carolina, transportation officials are considering ferry tolls—including a proposed $10 charge each way on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route—and property acquisition for an N.C. 12 relocation, while seeking more time to prepare for the toll mandate. Illinois approved its first toll increase in 15 years to help fund a $26.5 billion capital program and is forming a new authority to oversee Chicago-area transit. Separately, changes in control of Congress are expected to reshape transportation committee leadership and could affect trucking policy and the next highway bill.