200 new pesos, about $67. Rates are higher for larger vehicles. By way of comparison, the

Florida Turnpike has one of the highest rates per mile in the United States. The toll for a

passenger car travelling from Wildwood to Miami (also about 265 miles) is $15. As a result,

it is not uncommon to find a near-empty toll road alongside a congested alternative routing in

Mexico. While heavy trucks can do appreciable damage to roadways, the damage from

passenger vehicles is negligible. As the current tolls discourage all but a few passenger vehicles

from using these roadways, it seems highly unlikely that the tolls are optimal, even from the

narrow perspective of those investing in the highway concessions.

 Underutilization of the toll roads translates into increased congestion and wear and tear

along alternative routings. This is perhaps most severe with respect to truck traffic. As with

passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles commonly avoid the toll roads. For example, the

distance from Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo is approximately 149 miles. Just north of Monterrey

there is a road sign advertising the toll road. It indicates that the trip to Nuevo Laredo will take

two hours via the toll road, but three hours on the alternative routing. The toll for a heavy truck

is 256 new pesos, about $85 U.S. One of the authors made the roundtrip from Monterrey to

Nuevo Laredo and back. During the four hours on the toll road, frequently no other vehicle was

in sight and only two heavy trucks were seen going in either direction.

 Carriers have been quite vocal regarding the tolls and have, on occasion, resorted to

strikes to pressure the government to force lower tolls. For example, for four days, beginning

late January 9, 1993, more than 2,000 trucks blocked the Sonoran highway. This was

particularly serious for the winter vegetable growers in Sinaloa as this has been their only

practical route to U.S. markets. As a result of the strike, the tolls from Sinaloa to Nogales were