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Rendell budget assumes I-80 will be tolled

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is so confident that Interstate 80 will be converted into a toll road that he is including the extra money in his 2010-11 budget.

Rendell released his budget proposal to the public on Feb. 9. Among the many items is a $2.7 billion budget for the transportation fund – and it comes with a footnote.

“This budget assumes the federal government will approve Pennsylvania’s request to initiate tolling on Interstate 80,” Rendell stated in the document. 

Back in 2007, Rendell signed a bill into law that awarded the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission control over I-80 for 50 years. The law, known as Act 44, ordered the commission to apply for federal tolling authority for the interstate and requires the commission to pay hundreds of millions each year to the state DOT as a supplement for transportation funding.

The 2010-11 Rendell budget proposal calls for more than $500 million in Turnpike Commission payments to the state DOT – and that’s about double the current payment.

OOIDA is among many groups, communities and lawmakers that have called for Act 44 to be repealed. The double tax whammy of tolls and fuel taxes on I-80 would hurt businesses and communities, the Act 44 opponents say.

Still, Rendell and supporters charged ahead in 2007 and continue to do so, but I-80 cannot be converted into a toll road without federal approval. The Federal Highway Administration has the final say.

The FHWA has turned back the I-80 tolling application twice since the first attempt was made in 2007. There is no limit to the number of times a state can apply for tolling under a series of FHWA pilot programs.

A delegation of U.S. representatives from Pennsylvania met recently with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez. The delegation, spearheaded by Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-PA, also included Rep. Christopher Carney, a Democrat.

A spokesman for Carney says the FHWA has not tipped its hand about whether the I-80 application will be accepted or rejected.

“The congressman is anxiously awaiting the decision,” spokesman Josh Dobnyk told Land Line on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

“He’s optimistic that the DOT is going to reject the Commonwealth’s proposal. He’s been vocal in opposition to the plan because tolls would be bad for the economy and bad for families.”

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