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For Immediate Release
December 4, 2007
Contact: Brian Grove
bgrove@pasen.gov
(570) 675-3931
Back
State Senators Write to U.S. Department of Transportation to
Express Concerns with Interstate 80 Tolling Plan
Harrisburg - - Eleven state senators today wrote to the U.S. Secretary of
Transportation to express continuing opposition to the proposal to toll
Interstate Route 80. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation are seeking federal approval to toll Interstate 80
as authorized by Act 44 of 2007, which all eleven senators opposed upon passage
of the Act in July.
The senators expressed their serious concerns about the negative impact the
proposal will have on residents and businesses in the Commonwealth and have
asked U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to carefully consider those
concerns as the Department reviews the Pennsylvania application.
Among the specific concerns cited by the Senators are:
- The tolling proposal will have overwhelming negative
economic impact upon business and industry located along the I-80 corridor
by greatly increasing transportation costs.
- The Turnpike Commission and the state Department of
Transportation failed to sufficiently seek public input on the proposal
prior to the passage of Act 44, despite claims in the application that a
number of hearings were held in the spring of 2007.
- Act 44 received significant opposition in the General
Assembly, passing by only an eleven vote margin in the Senate and only a 45
vote margin in the House of Representatives. The proposal has also
generated significant opposition among the members of the state's
Congressional delegation.
- A 2005 study by the state Department of Transportation
concluded that tolling Interstate 80 was not a viable option to fund the
state's transportation needs.
- The proposal to toll Interstate 80 fails to meet any
of three criteria required by the federal government to institute tolls on
interstate highways. Those three criteria include traffic congestion
relief, reduction of vehicle emissions in non-attainment emission areas or
the need to construct additional road infrastructure.
- While the Turnpike Commission did not seek comment
prior to the passage of Act 44, it has conducted a series of hearings since
the passage of the Act and has received overwhelming negative public input.
The senators further expressed concern that if the proposal receives approval
despite not qualifying under current tolling criteria, other states will seek
similar approval, seriously harming the free flow of goods and traffic across
the country, endangering not only Pennsylvania's economy, but the U.S. economy
as well.
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