Massachusetts Turnpike
Financial instability affects toll finances in Massachusetts and WV
Posted Tue, 2008-02-19 21:28
Massachusetts Turnpike is talking most about it, but a number of toll authorities are facing higher financing costs or difficulties associated with turmoil in the financial markets. The Mass Turnpike Authority today delayed refinancing $127m of 'auction rate' Big Dig borrowings because of doubts about the strength of Ambac, one of the big bond insurers.
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Mass Turnpike chiefs calling for legislators to cut pork
Posted Fri, 2008-02-01 19:44For years the Massachusetts Turnpike has acquiesced in being used by legislators to distribute largess - maybe smalless - to communities along its length. A law going back to the 1990s requires the Turnpike to spend $750k/year "for the benefit of cities and towns located within the turnpike corridor."
$500k must be spent on the Turnpike west of MA128/I-95 and $250k east of it in the Boston suburbs. The AP reports that the money has gone for pedestrian walks, websites, tourist promotion, visitor bureaus, performing arts, and tourist branding campaigns.
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$500k must be spent on the Turnpike west of MA128/I-95 and $250k east of it in the Boston suburbs. The AP reports that the money has gone for pedestrian walks, websites, tourist promotion, visitor bureaus, performing arts, and tourist branding campaigns.
137 words read more »
Mass Pike did post positive report on Big Dig but Romney ordered it suppressed
Posted Wed, 2008-01-09 16:01Good news on the Big Dig was a casualty of infighting within the Romney administration, we're told. Turnpike staff were ordered to downplay
good news about the Big Dig because it was seen as being a counter to Governor Romney's efforts to wrest control of the Turnpike from then Turnpike chairman and CEO Matt Amorello. The two were very publicly at odds for virtually the entire term of Gov Romney.
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good news about the Big Dig because it was seen as being a counter to Governor Romney's efforts to wrest control of the Turnpike from then Turnpike chairman and CEO Matt Amorello. The two were very publicly at odds for virtually the entire term of Gov Romney.605 words read more »
Stem to stern, now top to bottom review of Mass Pike, plus scrubbing of decks - COMMENTARY
Posted Tue, 2007-11-27 08:38No matter what their political affiliation a nautical metaphor is always good for a positive headline in Boston papers when it comes to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Last year after the ceiling fell in on the Turnpike's Big Dig tunnel under First Lord of the Massachusetts Admiralty Mitt Republican Romney it was a "stem to stern review" that was put under way.
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Taxman for Turnpike in Massachusetts - Gov's nominee LeBovidge
Posted Mon, 2007-11-19 17:12
George III's Massachusetts taxman was tarred and feathered by the mob in Boston. Today's chief taxman gets sentenced by the popularly elected governor to try run the state Turnpike.
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Mass Turnpike's former chair & CEO Matt Amorello charged with self-dealing
Posted Mon, 2007-11-05 14:02
The Massachusetts Ethics Commission has charged former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) chairman and CEO Matt Amorello with altering the Turnpike's sick pay benefits rule to his personal benefit on the day before he announced his retirement in July 2006. The Commission says Amorello changed retirement rules under which he was entitled to $15k of sick leave compensation to a rule which provided him with $75k. 767 words read more »
Massachusetts legislators file bill to seize toll setting power from Turnpike board and freeze tolls
Posted Fri, 2007-11-02 20:43
A bill has been filed in the Massachusetts state legislature to block toll increases approved on Monday by the Turnpike Authority board. The bill SB2086 is titled "An Act relative to freezing the Massachusetts Turnpike tolls at current levels."
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Mass Pike wants new revenue estimate - URS must redo estimates and be checked
Posted Tue, 2007-10-16 17:11
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority says that consultants at URS made a $6m "error" in forecasting the revenue yield of toll increases approved recently. They had said the 25c Turnpike Extension toll increases and 50c tunnel toll rises would increase revenues $24m or 16%.
URS have been asked to redo their forecasts and the Turnpike has also hired an independent reviewer, Turnpike chief executive Mary Jean O'Meara says.
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Mass Pike board votes for 15% increase in tolls
Posted Thu, 2007-10-04 18:09
The
five member board of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority voted this
morning for toll increases that will raise 15% more revenue on the
Boston area portion of the Turnpike, taking toll takings on the three
toll tunnels and the Turnpike east of MA128/I-95 from $152m now to
$175m, a Turnpike spokesman told us. The proposal has to go to public
hearings for comment and then he confirmed - or not - at a subsequent
meeting of the board.430 words read more »
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Mass Pike board member calls for shakeup of Big Dig management
Posted Thu, 2007-09-13 19:46
Mary Connaughton of the Massachusetts Turnpike Board is calling for new managers of the Big Dig project. She says that Michael Lewis the longtime Turnpike manager for the Big Dig has provided misleading information in recent reports on leaks and other problems in the project. 163 words read more »
Mass Pike to have toll service RFP out by summer - TransCore "welcome" to rebid
Posted Sun, 2007-04-15 20:26Massachusetts Turnpike will have an RFP out for a new ten year toll services contract this summer. Spokesman John Carlisle says reports suggesting TransCore were fired were a bit misleading.
"They are most welcome to bid for the new contract" he said.
"We did think the prices they quoted for a couple of modifications were a bit high, but the pricing did meet the terms of the contract. We saw problems in the contract they were working under." 1021 words read more »
Massachusetts' mismanagement of turnpike detailed
Posted Sun, 2007-04-01 10:28Plans to end tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike are excoriated in a lengthy report of a transport finance commission (MTFC) set up by the state legislature. Sub-titled "An unsustainable system" the report says the Romney administration and its predecessors have left a shocking financial legacy of high cost but skimped maintenance even while going deeper into debt to cover current costs - a tale of the Big Dig writ large in widespread mismanagement of the state's highways. 1837 words read more »
