LETTER: No to bridge tolls
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Wolf Administration have proposed their latest toll on taxpayers. They are backing a plan to toll nine bridges throughout the commonwealth to raise money to replace them. First, they did not bother to seek legislative or public input from those who will now have to pay $1 or $2 every time they cross the impacted bridges.
Secondly, let’s do a little math here: under this proposal, if you’re a driver who crosses the Bridgeville bridge on Interstate 79 twice a day for work, that’s $4 day, for a total of $20 a week, and $1,040 a year.
For the next 30 years.
That $31,200 combined total could buy your family a new car over the proposed timeline.
Lastly, truckers have told me they fear they could pay as much as $10 for a single pass. Beyond the substantial increase and economic burden on the trucking industry, I am concerned that drivers will find alternate routes to avoid tolls and cause increased traffic, strain and safety issues on our local roads.
I intend to ask Governor Wolf and the Public-Private Partnership Board to conduct a thorough review and reconsideration of their proposal following legislative and public input. Moreover, any board member should abstain from voting if the project would benefit him or her or their organization in any capacity. Currently, the new toll would increase the budget of the Secretary of Transportation as well as benefit other board member interests.
We already suffer from the nation’s highest gasoline tax. It is a misjudgment to think we can now toll our way into prosperity.
Nick Sherman
Washington County commissioner