English Denounces PTC's Proposed I-80 Toll Collection Locations

Press Release

English Denounces PTC's Proposed I-80 Toll Collection Locations

Calls Booths a Poison Pill, Pitting Rural Against Urban Regions

Despite the lack of support from the federal government to convert Interstate 80 into a toll road, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) today moved forward with its announcement of potential toll collection locations along the corridor. U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), a staunch opponent of the proposed tolling plan, denounced the locations, saying the toll locations are a poison pill that will continue to pit rural regions against urban regions.

"The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has, yet again, made clear that they are incapable of wrapping their arms around the critical role that I-80 plays in rural Pennsylvania's economy and how much local economic development is specifically tied to the freeway," English said. "This continued callous disregard for local economies in western Pennsylvania is an embarrassment and frankly unacceptable."

Today, at a press conference at the state Capitol, the PTC identified 20 potential sites for nine tolling points on the interstate. Within the 3rd Congressional District, Exit 4 (New Castle/Sharon/Hermitage/Mercer), Exit 15 (Mercer), Exit 42 (Emlenton) and Exit 45 (St. Petersburg/Emlenton Butler) along the corridor were announced as targeted toll-booth locations. Maps displaying the diversion routes and their impact on the surrounding communities were made available at the press conference.

"These ill conceived toll-booth locations will do nothing more than divert highway tractor-trailer traffic through the heart of some of the largest communities in western Pennsylvania including, Mercer, Sharon, Hermitage and Butler," English continued.

In addition to the proposed tolling-locations, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chief Executive Joe Brimmeier announced the Commission's intention to divert 87 percent of the tolling proceeds to mass transit agencies in Pennsylvania.

"This continues to be a classical case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, ripping the carpet out from underneath rural Pennsylvania to better serve the Commonwealth's more affluent communities," English said. "The idea of tolling I-80 continues to be a fantastically stupid plan. Instead of continuing to leave our local, rural communities hanging out to dry, Harrisburg and the Turnpike Commission ought to be able to come up with a more equitable plan to address the financial challenges of mass transit."

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