BCT Editorial – 1/17/07

This page was last updated on January 18, 2007.

It makes sense for I-80 users to fund maintenance; Editorial; Beaver County Times; January 17, 2007.

When you read the editorial, you’ll find the title is a tad misleading.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The next time you’re looking at a U.S. highway atlas, check out Interstate 80 as it crosses Indiana and Ohio.

“You’ll find that it takes a toll to travel I-80 through those states. When you get to Pennsylvania, however, the ride becomes free.”

[RWC] For whatever reason, the editorial neglects to note I-80 in Indiana and Ohio happens to run along the Indiana and Ohio turnpikes. Just as the PA Turnpike, the Indiana and Ohio turnpikes were toll roads before they were designated as interstates.

“That could change, however, under a proposal to make 80 a toll road in Pennsylvania.

“The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is looking at that as an alternative to selling or leasing the turnpike in order to generate more money that would be used for repairing the state’s ailing highways and bridges.”

[RWC] Based on the editorial title, I thought the reason for tolling I-80 was to fund I-80 maintenance. Now we learn it’s to generate funds to maintain other PA roads.

“The turnpike commission has hired the Bravo Group, a Harrisburg lobbying firm, to come up with a formal proposal for the state.

“It’s not a bad idea.

“Tolling interstate highways is not a new concept.

“New York makes motorists pay to drive Interstates 90 and 87, Massachusetts continues the I-90 tolls through its state and New Jersey has tolled I-95. All are major arteries leading to East Coast metropolitan areas: Albany, New York City, Boston and Philadelphia.”

[RWC] As the Indiana, Ohio, and PA turnpikes, at least some of these were toll roads before they received interstate designation. For example, I-90 and I-87 piggyback on the New York Thruway, the NJ portion of I-95 piggybacks on the NJ Turnpike, and I-90 piggybacks on the Massachusetts Turnpike. As noted above about the Indiana, Ohio, and PA turnpikes, these toll roads predated their interstate designation.

I have to wonder why the editorial tries to lead us to believe current toll roads were “free” interstates before they were tolled.

“The Associated Press has reported that Pennsylvania Turnpike Chief Executive Joe Brimmeier believes that tolls on I-80 could raise ‘tens of millions of dollars,’ money that is sorely needed.

“New Jersey officials are also looking at making I-80 a toll road through their state.

“This is something that Gov. Ed Rendell and the Department of Transportation should carefully consider.

“‘All the profits that would go to a private firm would go to PennDOT,’ Brimmeier said. ‘We intend to show how we can close the funding gap that limits the state’s ability to care for roads and bridges.’”

[RWC] No mention is made of the fact PennDOT is forced to maintain roads that should be local responsibilities. For example, though Center Grange Road never leaves Center Township, it’s a state road (SR 3012). Even worse, some township roads that are little more than cow paths are state roads.

I believe this dumping of local roads on PennDOT is a big chunk of the funding problem and one piece of data supports that opinion. According to PennDOT, it “manages the fifth largest state-maintained highway system in the country. PennDOT owns 40,244 miles of state roadway.” Yes, kids, that’s correct. Despite ranking only 33^rd in area, PA has “the fifth largest state-maintained highway system in the country.”

“The tolls would be paid by the people who use I-80 the most, out-of-state truckers heading to New York, Boston and Philadelphia and would have minimal impact on state residents and Pennsylvania businesses.”

[RWC] Not that it should matter, but how do we know the assertion that most I-80 users are “out-of-state truckers heading to New York, Boston and Philadelphia and would have minimal impact on state residents and Pennsylvania businesses?” After all, the editorial didn’t cite a data source.

“It only makes sense for the people who use the roads to help pay for their upkeep.”

[RWC] But that’s not what the editorial is proposing. When you read closely, the editorial proposes using the tolls to pay not only for I-80 maintenance, but also for other PA roads.

“And it makes a lot more sense to toll Interstate 80 rather than sell the historic turnpike and pass off yet another financial burden to future generations.”

[RWC] Don’t get me wrong. I’ve supported tolling all so-called “limited access” roads for years. At the same time, I believe tolls should be used solely for maintenance of the road from which the tolls were collected. This editorial’s proposal would take some portion of I-80 tolls to pay for maintenance of Center Grange Road. I’d also be willing to bet that via a ripple effect, some of the tolls would find their way to funding things like the Beaver County Transit Authority, Port Authority Transit, et cetera.