Legislative News 5-09

  

Turnpike Lease Request Resubmitted

The Pennsylvania Turnpike filed a new application to install tolls on I-80 per Act 44 which was passed in 2007. The state is seeking permission from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to put tolls on I-80 to help pay for highway, bridge, and mass-transit projects around the state. FHWA turned down a similar request in 2007, but there is a new Administration in Washington; one that might be more favorably inclined.

If approved, the tolls are expected to generate roughly $900 million per year for transportation projects. The tolling proposal is opposed by many businesses and elected officials from Pennsylvania’s northern tier. If the FHWA rejects the proposal again, the Turnpike will face a difficult funding problem that might require legislative action to fix.