Washingon, D.C.   -  To ensure Interstate 80 remains a free highway, U.S. Reps. Phil English (R-Erie) and John Peterson (R-Pleasantville) touted the Free Highway Protection Act, legislation that will halt the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s proposal to toll Interstate 80.  The lawmakers, whose districts include sections of the interstate, were joined by Pennsylvania legislators at their announcement today in Harrisville, Pa.

“We are not going to stand idly by and watch Harrisburg politicians pick the pockets of western Pennsylvanians to prop up Philadelphia’s mass transit system.  Imposing tolls on I-80 will only burden our local communities, while shifting the benefits elsewhere,” said English, a former Executive Director of the State Senate Transportation Committee.  “We recognize that it is going to be a fight, but we are committed to keeping a toll free I-80 even if we have to throw ourselves under the state government’s steamroller.”

“Like the middle of the night pay-raise and the gambling legislation, this reckless, short-term fix to toll interstate 80 was voted for in haste without consideration of the negative, long-term economic consequences. Our commonwealth is hemorrhaging jobs and businesses at an alarming rate and discouraging economic growth to subsidize ineffective mass transit programs is wrong,” said Peterson. “The question must be asked: does this proposal make Pennsylvania a more attractive place to do business? The answer is flatly no, Mr. Governor, and that’s exactly what I hear from my constituents and small business owners throughout my district.”

When the lawmakers return to Washington this week, they will introduce the Free Highway Protection Act of 2007 which would eliminate the Commonwealth’s economic incentive to toll Interstate 80.  Specifically, the measure establishes a federal excise tax, equal to the amount of the toll, on new tolls placed on federally financed interstate highways.  Revenue generated from the federal excise tax would be appropriated to the Secretary of Labor for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. 

In addition to English’s new proposal, English urged the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation to reject any application by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to impose tolls on Interstate 80. In a letter sent today, English cited concerns regarding the economic impact tolling would have on communities which the highway transits.

“Tolling I-80 is a direct blow to the local economies in western Pennsylvania and does nothing more than pit rural regions against urban regions,” English said. “In my view, this is just plain, bad, public policy. Instead of leaving our local communities hanging out to dry, Harrisburg ought to be able to come up with a more equitable plan to close the current gaps in the state budget.”

“Governor Rendell was awfully sure of himself that this was a cut-and-dry deal, however, it’s far from that. I am fully committed, along with Congressman English and members of the state legislature, to work day and night to ensure that I-80 remains a freeway. Rural Pennsylvania should not be responsible for subsidizing mismanaged and inefficient mass transit programs like SEPTA,” said Peterson. “It’s also worthy to note that a 2005 PennDOT study reported that suggested I-80 toll rates would be even higher than the turnpike’s – about $80 dollars to get across the state. How does the governor plan on paying for this project? Borrowing. It would be at least 20 years before the debt to implement the tolls would be paid off.”

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation which included an amendment to prohibit funds from establishing or collecting tolls on Interstate 80.  This prohibition would preclude the U.S. Department of Transportation from reviewing an application by the state to toll the road.

*Copy of the letter follows:

July 30, 2007

The Honorable Mary E. Peters
Secretary
United States Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary Peters:

We are writing to express our opposition to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDot) plan to impose tolls on Interstate 80.

There are several reasons to reject any request to toll I-80, including:

Any initial impetus for converting I-80 to a toll road (deteriorated road conditions) no longer exists and the current annual cost of maintaining I-80 in acceptable condition is no longer an abnormal drain on the state budget;

Converting I-80 to a toll road, in our view, does not meet current federal criteria;

Motorists on I-80 would pay both the applicable toll plus current gas tax and other various fees that finance Pennsylvania’s transportation programs; and

The benefits, if any, to users of an I-80 toll road would be insignificant for a considerable period of time.

PennDot’s current proposal, contained in legislation recently enacted by the Pennsylvania Legislature, is particularly egregious because instead of using revenues derived from tolling I-80 on improvements or lane expansions that would benefit motorists using the highway, it would fund transit programs in unrelated areas of the state.  This would be a clear departure from federal guidelines regarding tolling of interstate highways which require a clear link between the use of highway funds for mass transit and reduction of congestion on the highway being tolled.  Expanding mass transit capacity in Pennsylvania’s urban and suburban communities could not relieve congestion on I-80 since the highway transits the most rural area of our state. 

Essentially, the new transportation plan would impose excessive tolls on economically challenged rural communities which are already paying their full share of gas taxes and other fees, and transfer that revenue to more prosperous suburban communities to fund transit programs that should be supported by the communities they serve.

We have consistently supported a variety of proposals to improve transportation funding in rural, urban and suburban communities throughout the nation.  However, we also have consistently favored transportation funding mechanisms that clearly link revenue streams to benefits so that to the maximum extent possible the people providing the revenue are the same ones receiving the benefits.

We would be happy to work with PennDot and your Department to develop alternative proposals to address the mass transit needs of Pennsylvania’s urban and suburban communities.  We simply ask that whatever funding mechanism is approved be designed to avoid imposing an unfair burden on our rural communities.

For these reasons we urge you in the strongest possible terms to categorically reject any application by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to impose tolls on I-80.                                         -###-