Inside Harrisburg
by State Rep. Dan Frankel
Plan would keep Pa. Turnpike’s proceeds in public hands
Current turnpike system can produce more transit funding than privatization would
I am pleased that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recently unveiled a plan to raise money that could be used to fund mass transit and to repair state roads and bridges without having part of the money raised diverted to private profits.
Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed leasing the 530-mile turnpike system to a for-profit company to raise a projected $965 million. In response, the turnpike commission has offered an alternative that, I believe, should replace the leasing proposal as the basis for legislation.
The public has paid billions of dollars to build and maintain the turnpike system. If there is more money to be made from the turnpike, all of that profit should go to public purposes – not to a private operator.
The turnpike’s stockholders are the state’s citizens and travelers. The state doesn’t have to meet profit targets demanded by a corporate board. A lease would basically amount to turning over ownership of the turnpike system to a for-profit company. We would run the risks of unacceptable toll increases and cutbacks in maintenance.
In addition, I am concerned that following the model of two recent U.S. toll-road leases, in Chicago and Indiana, could result in much higher per-mile costs for Pennsylvania individuals and businesses. That in turn could shift more traffic to side roads not equipped to handle it.
The current turnpike system is more accountable and responsive to citizens and travelers than a private operator would be. For example, the people’s elected representatives so far have been denied access to the more than 40 turnpike proposals sent in by private operators, but the turnpike commission has made its plan public. To give another example, it’s much less likely that a private company would have forgone tolls when large portions of Interstates 81, 80 and 78 were shut down because of the Valentine’s Day snow and ice storm. And the turnpike did a good job of keeping its roads open during that challenging storm.
We definitely need more money for highway and bridge repairs and mass transit, and keeping profits from the turnpike system in public hands should be a pillar of that effort.
I hope that the General Assembly will also continue to examine the governor’s proposed tax on oil company profits. I would like to see a bipartisan partnership with the Rendell administration on finding ways to make that proposal work and to keep the oil companies from passing the costs to consumers. These are not easy issues, but the people who elected us expect and deserve real progress on transportation.
The turnpike commission’s proposal can be viewed online at www.paturnpike.com/PPP.
Constituents in the 23rd Legislative District with state-related concerns or questions may call Rep. Dan Frankel’s office at 412-422-1774 or visit the office at 4225 Murray Ave.
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