Pennsylvania

Timothy Carson vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says that they are producing a "very robust plan" including detailed commitments to plow toll revenues on I-80 back into the road in order to persuade the Feds to give the green light to tolling the presently free interstate.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission at a meeting today approved a staff proposal to advertise for expressions of interest in a toll concession to build three remaining sections of the connected Mon-Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects south of Pittsburgh. They constitute some 83km (51.6 miles) of expressway with a project cost of about $5.2b, the Turnpike says in a statement issued after the meeting.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission CEO Joe Brimmeier and Vice Chairman Timothy Carson today told a state house appropriations committee hearing in Harrisburg that they are "very optimistic" and "we feel strongly" that the Federal Government will approve Turnpike plans to toll I-80.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting a powerful line-up of figures supporting a private concession to build the uncompleted northern section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway between PA51 and I-376, locally known as the Parkway East.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has released to legislators some of the Citigroup financial numbercrunching used to lobby for Act 44 and the tolling of I-80. But they continue to refuse to release what they have referred to as the basic "Citigroup Analysis" which is the mainstay of their financial model.

Following the Feds letter of Thursday casting doubt on the legality of tolling PA/I-80 Pennsylvania Gov Edward Rendell said he prefers a longterm lease concession of the Turnpike. The AP quotes Rendell as saying today:
- the lease will raise "significantly more" money for the state, and
- remove what he called the "I-80 problem"

They quote him as stating bluntly: "I would prefer to do leasing of the Turnpike."

USDOT have told Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) and DOT that their application to toll I-80 does not meet the requirements for even conditional approval. And they have posed four pages of questions they say must be answered by state authorities if they wish to continue with the application. The questions are sharply worded, suggesting the feds consider the state application to be a shoddy piece of work.

The US House-Senate transport appropriations conference removed an I-80 anti tolling amendment from a budget bill late last night, according to its main sponsor and champion northern PA congressman John Peterson (Repub).

Peterson issued this statement which we quote at length because it echoes many of the themes being heard along I-80:

A new poll shows opposition among Pennsylvania voters to tolling I-80 is 62% to 28% in favor. This is a considerably greater margin of opposition than to privatizing the Turnpike with a longterm lease/concession (50/37).

When asked if they had to choose between tolling I-80 and leasing the Turnpike to a private company 41% choose the private lease concession, while 36% prefer tolls on I-80 to privatization.

I very much appreciate your articles on I-80 tolling in Pennsylvania and the fiasco of Act 44. There is no question that the tolling of I-80 was thought to be an easy bailout by the leadership of both parties in Harrisburg for the self inflicted transportation woes of the State. I applaud TOLLROADSnews for exposing the fiasco, especially the self preservation role of the patronage polluted and scandal ridden Turnpike Commission.

However, I have trouble agreeing with the below quote from your most recent I-80 article.