To Toll or Not to Toll

From the Dallas Morning News today - Highways about to take their toll:

"Virtually every major Dallas-Fort Worth highway project includes plans for new tolls, in many cases replacing what have traditionally been free carpool lanes.  By the time billions in planned construction is done, most of the area's major corridors will either be toll roads or feature some sort of toll component.

In large part, the growing network of toll highways can be attributed to living in a state with a booming population and a Legislature that dodges solving transportation shortfalls."

toll¹

tōl/

noun

1. 1.

   a charge payable for permission to use a particular bridge or road.

   "turnpike tolls"

   synonyms:

   charge, fee, payment, levy, tariff, tax More
2. 2.

   the number of deaths, casualties, or injuries arising from particular circumstances, such as a natural disaster, conflict, or accident.

   "the toll of dead and injured mounted"

   synonyms:

   number, count, tally, total, sum total, grand total, sum; More

verb

1. 1.

   charge a toll for the use of (a bridge or road).

   "the report advocates expressway tolling"