Yep, they tried to get a private company to take over the PA turnpike years ago, during Fast Eddies reign, none would touch it because revenues were flat, so the legislature passed auto incrementing tolls..
No private company took it over anyway, and now rates go up automatically year every year...
The initial ding they hit you with entering from Ohio before you take your ticket, was $2.90 in 2010... its now over $7.
I took the turnpike east for the first time in years this past summer.... Got off at breezewood, which was ALWAYS hopping 7pm on a thursday and it was a ghost town....
Never, ever recall getting off at breezewood and seeing no one around.. even at 2am...
Breezewood is a major fueling point. The only times I remember it being slow were between 2-5 am.
If Breezewood was dead then the tolls have chased everyone off the turnpike.
Was Rendell the governor when the turnpike workers went on strike? I forget the year but they tried to run the turnpike using supervisors and it was a smashing disaster.