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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Keith McCall State
Rep. Joseph Markosek |
  
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Statement on Interstate 80 tolling decision from Reps. McCall, Markosek
HARRISBURG, Sept. 11 – House Majority Whip Keith McCall, D-Carbon, and House Majority Transportation Chairman Joe Markosek, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland, today issued the following joint statement on the Federal Highway Administration’s decision to deny the Commonwealth the authority to institute tolls on Interstate 80.
"This is disappointing and disturbing news for every Pennsylvanian who counts on safe roads and bridges, particularly in light of the recent news that the federal highway trust fund is essentially broke. Considering the Bush Administration’s stance on our nation’s infrastructure has been to hang the states out to dry or encourage us to sell off valuable taxpayer-owned properties at fire-sale prices, this decision is another very costly mistake. We urge the Turnpike Commission to redouble its efforts to gain approval from the federal government. We’re prepared to take care of our own here in Pennsylvania, but we need the tools to raise those funds to repair and improve thousands of bridges and tens of thousands of miles of roads. Is the federal government ready to make the hard choices to help our state now that they've taken away our best method to help ourselves?
"It’s already been proven that the proposed lease of the turnpike to a foreign company until 2084 and its one-time small windfall would not solve the financial problem. Fuel revenues are down, so replacing the billions of dollars every year tolls would provide would mean a crippling gas-tax hike.
"The good news, if there is any, is that the turnpike commission is still going to fulfill its funding obligation for this fiscal year. If the tolling application is not reconsidered and approved there are going to be some hard choices ahead and large bills handed to Pennsylvanians, instead of requiring drivers from New Jersey, New York, Ohio and beyond to pay their fair share for the damage they cause traveling I-80."
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