PA/I-80 anti-toll application bill rejected in state house

A move to block any new state application to toll PA/I-80 failed this week in the Pennsylvania state house. It voted 106 to 87 not to accept the measure  as an addition to a teenage driver safety bill. Opponents of the move said the effort was unconstitutional in that it changed the intent of the bill. House transportation committee chair Joseph Markosek led opposition to the move.

There has been no indication the Obama administration is any more inclined to stretch interpretation of federal law on tolling a free interstate to accommodate Pennsylvania which under state law (Act 44) wanted to use I-80 surplus revenues for projects over the rest of the state in an application rejected by the Feds in the last months of the Bush administration.

The issue is therefore said to be "moot" and the Turnpike Commission is not making any move at present to resubmit the state application to toll I-80.

Of course moot issues can sometimes get to be demooted... (not an accepted word that, but it should be)

TOLLROADSnews 2009-04-27