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Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Hike Goes Into Effect
WFMZ-TV.com ^ | 1/4/09 | Jackie Shutack,

Posted on 01/04/2009 8:15:34 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta

People who use the Pennsylvania Turnpike will now have to shell out more cash for that privilege.

The toll fee for all drivers went up by 25 percent on Sunday, part of a plan that has been a long time in the making.

WFMZ's Jackie Shutack talked to drivers whose ire was raised, along with those tolls.

George Moyer/pittston: (gasps) "6 bucks -- it used to be to go down to Philly, now it's 8, that's ridiculous!"

Luke witts, jr.:quakertown: "It's going to be tough."

Ira goosay/scranton: "I thought the rate they had was pretty high."

Greg strus/quakertown: "We just went to visit my mom in Wilkes Barre - we paid $3.25 coming up, now we're paying $4.10 coming back, it's ridiculous."

Reporter: PennDOT officials explain the toll increase will help pay for repair projects.

Carl defebo/PennDOT: "90% of the monies from this increase, will be used by PennDOT to finance off turnpike road and bridge projects as well as mass transit operations across Pennsylvania."

Reporter: From exit to exit, passenger vehicle drivers will now pay 95 cents instead of 75 cents. Many drivers are now plotting alternate routes in order to avoid shelling out the extra cash.

"I've figured out ways around the turnpike---- to get down to Philly, there aren't too many ways around the turnpike."

Alice jones/maryland: "Probably not use the turnpike as much."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: taxincrease
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To: Plumres
There was a large increase in the fare just a few years ago also.

Do you remember when that was?

21 posted on 01/04/2009 8:36:24 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

I used to visit the ‘Burgh by coming up from West Virginia on I-79, and it was exactly the same - you didn’t need to see the sign to know when you crossed the Pa. line, your suspension let you know.


22 posted on 01/04/2009 8:36:49 PM PST by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Nope. Not gonna do it.)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

Nor have I...but the trouble with the western end of the Commonwealth (the Pittsburgh metro area) is that you can’t go very far without having to cross a bridge or go thru a tunnel. And even a breakdown (forget about PENNDot maintenance) can slow things down to a crawl. There are sections of major arteries that are bridges that you don’t even recognize as bridges when you drive over them...so it makes life interesting here.

PENNDot is re-configuring the plaza at the Allegheny Valley Interchange...and the building cranes and steel work really do look like engineering wonders.


23 posted on 01/04/2009 8:37:11 PM PST by PennsylvaniaMom (PA is a banana republic without the great weather to actually grow bananas.)
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To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.

LOL...on WVa highways. Almost all are named after some member of the Byrd family. Maybe that is the key :)


24 posted on 01/04/2009 8:39:16 PM PST by PennsylvaniaMom (PA is a banana republic without the great weather to actually grow bananas.)
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

“The turnpike is taking a new approach future toll increases. Starting in January 2010, tolls will go up incrementally about 3 percent each year.”

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20233644&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6


25 posted on 01/04/2009 8:49:31 PM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: Dr. Scarpetta



"The Gov. William J. LePetomane 'Fast Eddie' Rendell Thruway? What'll that a**h*le think of next?!?"
26 posted on 01/04/2009 8:59:27 PM PST by Emperor Palpatine ("I love democracy. I love Free Republic")
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
I was up there a couple months ago from Florida into jersey and across Pa then down 79 coming home You need a bag of money they have toll booth's all over West Pa the Turnpike is a Joke. the rest stops look a hundred years old ,No money is spent on up keep. West Va roads are nice just watch for the speed traps!
27 posted on 01/04/2009 9:07:44 PM PST by Cheetahcat (Osamabama the Wright kind of Racist!)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
Wasn't there a time when trucks weren't allowed on the turnpike?

Could be, but today, they probably don't want to be on the Penn Turnpike.

28 posted on 01/04/2009 9:10:44 PM PST by meyer (We are all John Galt)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
Wow.

People get what they vote for.

The Pennsylvania apparatchiks intend to raise tolls 3% a year forever to comply with some "law" passed in 2007 and use the money to fund mass transit.

Funny thing is some states like Louisiana have great roads, repair and build new ones all of the time and do it with NO tolls at all .

http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/

29 posted on 01/04/2009 9:17:42 PM PST by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
Try I-68....it's a beautiful and stressfree road. Scenic, too! The mountain pass that they cut to make the road was used in the road as materials.... Sideling Hill
30 posted on 01/04/2009 9:21:27 PM PST by MadelineZapeezda (Have you girded your loins today??????)
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To: MadelineZapeezda
Better than anything you'll see on the PA turnpike....and it's free, too!


31 posted on 01/04/2009 9:23:15 PM PST by MadelineZapeezda (Have you girded your loins today??????)
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To: MadelineZapeezda

This is the change you voted for.


32 posted on 01/04/2009 9:32:51 PM PST by yorkie01
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To: Rome2000

You obviously are not talking about New Orleans. My suspension went out when I hit one of the craters they call potholes.


33 posted on 01/04/2009 9:33:19 PM PST by Dmitry Vukicevich (People get ready.)
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To: MadelineZapeezda; Paleo Conservative
Oh, yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! :-)


34 posted on 01/04/2009 9:34:59 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: Maelstorm
Toll hike? For what.

Hmmm...maybe math lessons?

The toll fee for all drivers went up by 25 percent on Sunday, part of a plan that has been a long time in the making.
[...]
George Moyer/pittston: (gasps) "6 bucks -- it used to be to go down to Philly, now it's 8, that's ridiculous!"

35 posted on 01/04/2009 9:36:14 PM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta
TURNPIKE SCAM:

Read this:

PA Turnpike 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

At these pages as marked in the PDF:

Page 10 - $696 million in cash or equivalents

Page 26 - revenue is $620 million, against cost of services of $373 million, meaning: PROFIT from current turnpike charges of $247 million. 247/620 means 39.84% NET PROFIT.

Yes, there is a bunch of other BS about the payments to PennDOT etc. which is just smoke and mirrors accounting.

BTW the Turnpike as we all know is horribly mis-managed, so there could easily be another $50-100 million per year available in the event that it was run right.

36 posted on 01/04/2009 9:39:37 PM PST by ikka (Brother, you asked for it!)
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

My mother once told me about when the PA turnpike first opened. People were peeved about paying a toll, but the government promised that the toll was only temporary, until the road was paid for.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAGGHHH!


37 posted on 01/04/2009 9:43:13 PM PST by MarineBrat (The New York Times is a Communist Kamikaze.)
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To: MarineBrat

The New York Thruway rates went up as well.


38 posted on 01/04/2009 9:51:02 PM PST by scrabblehack
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

Losers, keep voting for the marxist che lovin libs.


39 posted on 01/04/2009 9:53:32 PM PST by Fred (The Democrat Party is the Nadir of Nihilism and BO is a WHINING marxist)
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To: Dmitry Vukicevich
You are right.

Of course, N.O. roads are maintained by the socialists.

40 posted on 01/04/2009 9:58:07 PM PST by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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