[droopyEyelids]

It's the overall idea of wealth transfers.

We're talking about two things at the same time: 1) A method to reduce traffic, 2) A method to move money from people into toll-road owners.

Systematically transferring money from the overall population to a subgroup is generally thought of as a tax.

[jessaustin]

This definition of "tax" is wrong at best, precisely backwards at worst. Most people don't own real estate, yet they still call it "property tax". Most people didn't die this year, yet they still call it "estate tax". Most people don't smoke, yet they still call it "cigarette tax". In every case, the people's representatives have found some group they can shake down on the people's behalf.