Penn Pike says Cintra granted special access - denied by Governor's office

A Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman says that Cintra has been getting privileged access to Turnpike information in the run up to a concession RFP as a result of influence by a former staffer to the state governor Ed Rendell. The Turnpike spokesman is quoted as saying that Adrian King, former deputy chief of staff to the governor and now a partner at the Ballard law firm asked that Cintra be given special access after URS had been hired to manage concession bidding data and when all contact was supposed to be through them.

A spokesman for the Governor denies this saying all bidders have been allowed the same access, but some may have taken advantage of that access more than others. Fourteen groups are involved though the formal RFP is apparently some weeks away.

Ballard has been hired by the state to do legal work on the concession procurement, while URS is organizing traffic and engineering data.

The Pittsburgh Tribune has a long report on this today.

It quotes Bill Capone of the Turnpike as saying "only Cintra has had extensive access."

The Tribune report says that Cintra "sent representatives to commission offices for (over a period of - TRnews) about six weeks from early October through mid-November" and that there were "at least three meetings to answer questions."

In mid-November the Commission ended Cintra's access to the Turnpike because the Turnpike felt it was taking up too much staff time.

The governor's office says all bidders are entitled to the same access and that they are all being treated equally.

Brimmeier says the concession procurement is costly but "we are cooperating"

Turnpike Commission CEO Joe Brimmeier has said that police escorts for concession bidders have cost $26,000. Police were called in because the Turnpike thought concession bidders staff inspecting the Turnpike were a safety hazard.

The bill for police time is going to the Governor's office.

The CEO is quoted in the Uniontown Herald today as saying that Turnpike workers have spent "hundreds of hours" providing documents and information to concession bidders.

Brimmeier: "We are cooperating and giving out all the information so all the bids can be put together. There's been a lot of money spent on both sides of this thing."

The Turnpike Commission fiercely opposes "this thing" because it would see the Commission closed down.

Brimmeier continues to pitch the line that private management "would lead to stiff toll increases" even though a toll concession is likely to impose contractual toll caps which don't exist under present Turnpike Commission arrangements.

Concession bidders are not allowed to make public comments under the terms of their bidding.

COMMENT: The Governor wants the maximum bids for the Turnpike and he wants a clean procurement in order to garner legislative support for his proposed concession. We don't see what motive his office would have for favoritism so the suggestion seems like baloney to us. TOLLROADSnews 2008-03-14