[USS Alaska]

A major reason for the growing debt has been the turnpike’s obligation to pay $450 million a year to the state Department of Transportation to help pay for public transit. It borrows most of that money every year because it doesn’t have the cash on hand to pay it.

This is the states way of taxing the PA Turnpike users without calling it a tax.

The cheezy pols don't have the guts to raise the gas tax since it is one of the highest in the nation, so they put a levy on the turnpike and the commission just keep raising the usage rate, and only the turnpike users get screwed, while city users of public transportation get the benefit.

[FoxInSocks]

When was the last bus fare increase? I guess it wasn’t enough of an increase.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The recent gas tax hikes came after the turnpike was mandated to issue the payments to PennDOT, and bonds are used to make those payments. What’s interesting is that a smidge of gas tax revenue does indeed go to the turnpike. So it’s like some money is going around in circles.