Peter J. Wray – 6/2/06

This page was last updated on June 2, 2006.

Toll road is too pricey; Peter J. Wray; Beaver County Times; June 2, 2006.

An editor’s note alleged, “The writer is conservative committee co-chairman of the Sierra Club, Allegheny County Group.”

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“The May 21 editorial about the state’s infrastructure slipping toward Third World status warned of the need to fix the state’s infrastructure.

“Commenting on the American Society of Civil Engineers’ overall grade of D for our roads, sewers, etc., the editorial pointed out that we cannot expect much financial help from the federal government.

“Given this bleak picture, it is most disturbing that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission continues to plan the construction of the 24-mile Pittsburgh leg of the Mon-Fayette toll road at a cost expected to exceed $3 billion.

“Without federal funding and having approached the limit of its bond-raising capability, the turnpike commission has nowhere else to turn except to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania, either through a gasoline tax or some other form of taxation.

“With billions required for existing bridges, roads and other vital transportation needs, it defies all logic to extend this outrageously expensive toll road into Pittsburgh.

“And with gas prices around $3 per gallon, our legislators would do well to wonder whether they really want to ask taxpayers to pay so much more for this toll road.”

[RWC] All of the expressed concern about “the state’s infrastructure” and taxpayers is nothing but a convenient cover. You see, environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have opposed the Mon-Fayette project from the beginning.

I’m not up to speed on the Mon-Fayette project, so I’m not judging whether it’s a smart project or not. My purpose was to show the author and his organization have a lot of baggage regarding this issue.