Massachuetts governor, legislative leaders move to undo already voted Mass Pike toll hike

The state governor, house speaker and senate president today released a joint statement calling on the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board of directors to defer the March 29 toll increase they voted at their last meeting. This is a U-turn by the Governor Deval Patrick.

The toll increase was sponsored by Governor Patrick's own representative on the Turnpike board, Turnpike chairman and secretary of transportation James Aloisi and supported by other Patrick administration nominees. Aloisi said that legislative leaders opposing the toll increases used a "meaningless slogan" in calling for reform before revenue, and he characterized the sole opponent of the toll hikes, Republican appointee Mary Z Connaughton as a "gadfly."

Feb 20 the Governor had released a "transportation and economic plan" that proposed a motor fuels tax increase of 19c of which 4c would be used to "roll back" the planned July toll increase. Aloisi was quoted: “We must act immediately to free our transportation system from the stranglehold of debt so we can finally make the long-awaited investments necessary to improve service and reliability."

However there has been no action on the gas tax increase in the legislature, no bill introduced or debated.

Feb 24 the Turnpike board met, voting 4/1 in favor of toll increases March 29 and July 1.

The first phase to go into effect March 29 were toll increases of:

- 25% with in-state 'FAST LANE' transponder, 20% cash or out-of-state E-ZPass transponder for cars at the two mainline toll points of the metro-Boston segment of the Turnpike, and

- 67% with Mass transponder 57% with cash or out-of-state transponder at the harbor tunnels to go into effect March 29.

A second phase of toll increases are shown in the table.

The "staff summary sheet" submitted recommending the toll increases said that without them "the Authority will not meet debt service coverage requirements beginning in FY2009" and that the metro portion of the Turnpike "cannot even fund operating costs and debt service."

Executive director Alan LeBovidge's talking points to the legislature's Joint Transportation Committee March 16 said that without the March 29 toll increases voted Feb 24:

"- Below legal coverage ratios would have resulted;
- A ratings downgrade would have been inevitable;
- Our bonds would have junk bond status; and
- No Metropolitan Highway System (MHS) capital program would exist"

http://www.masspike.com/user-cgi/news.cgi?dbkey=322&type=Press%20Release&src=news

The Feb 24 decision is what the Governor and legislators now want to undo.

They say that the immediate financial needs of the Turnpike can be met by "using a portion of their reserve funds."

The Turnpike staff said the reserves to postpone the toll increases did not exist.

There's a Turnpike board meeting scheduled for the afternoon of March 23.

Perhaps the "gadfly" board member Mary Connaughton having anticipated the wishes of the Governor and legislative leaders should be in the chair!

Or that real gadfly: the Governor?

Report of Feb 24 decision:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/4025

Text of joint statement from house speaker DeLeo, senate president Theresa Murray, and governor Patrick:

“The Governor, with the support of President Murray and Speaker DeLeo, will today call on the Turnpike Authority board to use a portion of their reserve funds for the Metropolitan Highway System to address its immediate financial crisis through the end of the fiscal year, and to vote to delay the toll increase previously approved for implementation on March 29, 2009 until July 1st.

“In addition, President Murray announced that the full Senate will consider their transportation reform proposal during the week of March 23. Speaker DeLeo also announced that the House of Representatives will take up that reform proposal during the week of March 30.

“Leaders of both the Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to determine the need for new revenues and to enact legislation that would provide adequate revenues to support the reform proposal and fund our long term transportation needs no later than July 1, 2009.” END

TOLLROADSnews 2009-03-19