Posted on 03/29/2016 11:09:58 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Call it Pennsylvania’s highway robbery.
A pot of money from a huge increase in fuel taxes and motorist fees under a 2013 law designed to shore up Pennsylvania’s highways and bridges is not so huge anymore, as a growing amount is getting diverted to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Now, alarmed transportation planners, construction firms and engineers are looking at 12-year Department of Transportation projections that show a fattening state police budget consuming more dollars for construction projects. Lawmakers are taking notice, too.
(Excerpt) Read more at cumberlink.com ...
The federal leviathan was dead-against allowing tolls on I-80, so this is one of the results.
“The federal leviathan was dead-against allowing tolls on I-80, so this is one of the results.”
Sounds more like a ‘priorities’ issue. I have a BIG PROBLEM with states, cities, counties, or private people setting up ‘toll booths’ on Interstates, which are only designed to snatch money from passing travelers, as would be the case here as so few locals actually use I-80.
We have the Interstate Commerce Clause for a reason, even if it gets abused on a regular basis.
“The federal leviathan was dead-against allowing tolls on I-80, so this is one of the results.”
...and by the way, the feds actually wanted tolls on I-80, but part of the law said that the money collected would ONLY be used to maintain that particular highway. Pennsylvania had planned to use I-80 as a ‘Revenue Engine’ (that’s a Governor Perry term here in Texas) to pay for higher priority items, like the subway in Pennsylvania. It was only after PA would not agree to keep the use the money for the road only did the feds pull the plug on the idea.
Highways don’t vote Democrat.
You have a link? I do.
http://tollroadsnews.com/news/feds-reject-pennsylvania-application-to-toll-i-80-—state-to-revisit-p3
But Tollway workers do.
L
Who are they?
They are a news outlet that specializes in these issues. I chose them because they had the most complete story and their numbers matched other articles.
But you are welcome to PROVIDE A LINK to refute them (my second request, by the way).
Better than nothing, but mine is a few years later. Apparently, at least in 2010, they were looking to use the tolls to fund a whole host of projects far beyond the Interstate.
That’s quite a push left after the first rejection.
And it turns out that the FHWA rejected this plan a total of three times.
Well I can’t speak for the third attempt, but I can sympathize with the feds being TOTALLY SICK of PA trying to turn I-80 into a ‘revenue engine’.
They haven’t gone after the New York MTA doing precisely that with their toll system, IIRC.
Nor Houston...but neither place is trying to make a ‘revenue engine’ out of a freeway.
As I understand it, the New York MTA uses toll revenue to fund its commuter rail, subways and buses. They charge tolls on certain East River crossings, and bridges over Long Island Sound, within NYC.
Correct. It was part of the takeover of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1968.
I believe that you’re right (in fact I’m sure you’re right)...but it doesn’t mean that states have the right to fleece people driving on what are now freeways to pay for pet projects...especially when the federal law (and the claims by the states) say otherwise.
The old oft-recycled notion of putting tolls on the other currently non-tolled East River crossings, ostensibly to stave off the perpetual MTA funding shortfall, has recently resurfaced too. Nothing about restoring bi-directional tolling on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge thus far.
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