"The Gov.
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."
Do you remember when that was?
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.
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.
LOL...on WVa highways. Almost all are named after some member of the Byrd family. Maybe that is the key :)
“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
Could be, but today, they probably don't want to be on the Penn Turnpike.
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/
This is the change you voted for.
You obviously are not talking about New Orleans. My suspension went out when I hit one of the craters they call potholes.
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!"
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.
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!
The New York Thruway rates went up as well.
Losers, keep voting for the marxist che lovin libs.
Of course, N.O. roads are maintained by the socialists.
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