Pa. Turnpike wedded to toll hikes, mired in debt

The Lehigh Valley Express-Times ^ | July 31, 2016 | Express-Times Letter to the Editor

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Is it possible that a toll road could price itself right out of its market? That's essentially what the Pennsylvania Turnpike is prescribing for itself. Last week the Turnpike Commission informed us that tolls will go up a ninth consecutive year in 2017 — and stay on a steadily upward trajectory until 2044.

And of course, there's no guarantee after that.

By then, we can only hope, the turnpike will have morphed into a giant solar-powered car-train — for self-driving cars, of course.

"Unsustainable" is an overused word these days, but it applies to the toll road's future. The turnpike isn't just a labor-intensive operation that requires constant maintenance and rebuilding, it's also a cash cow for Pennsylvania's mass transit systems. Since 2007 the Legislature has required the turnpike to turn over $450 million a year for public transportation, and the turnpike is racking up massive debt as a result. It's borrowing to make the transfers; almost two-thirds of its annual $980 million budget goes to debt service.

That's unsustainable, even though the annual payment is projected to dip to $50 million after 2023, because the turnpike is embarking on a $5.7 billion, 10-year schedule of capital improvements. Earlier this month, the commission's chairman and vice chairman voted against the capital plan, saying the turnpike doesn't have the means to pay for it, despite toll increases projected to 2044. It's no surprise that the commission is asking legislative leaders to roll back the annual payment.

Even if that happens, the turnpike is looking at toll increases that will send drivers looking for alternatives — local roads and toll-free options such as Interstates 80 and 78.

[arl295]

How much more are they going to make it? It already costs more than a tank of gas for me when I go out to western PA

Its insane and it sucks too

[Mears]

What is an example of a charge?

The entire Mass Pike—Stockbridge to Boston,130 miles,is about $10.00.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

I remember my dad driving on the Turnpike in the early 60s, why is it still a turnpike?

Compare it with the KY Bluegrass Parkway which when it paid for itself ended the tolls.

[SargeK]

State legislators from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have written into law looting the turnpike to fund their welfare program mass transit systems. Rural legislators go along because they have looted the ‘pike to build useless interstate feeders to their little towns that they can name after themselves.

The mainline could be nicely maintained for a fraction of the tolls now being charged. The whole system is being looted from all sides.

[arl295]

going from New Jersey to western PA like Somerset was like $30 about 250 miles

[Ladysforest]

We always choose the turnpike when we go down south as it is a great way to totally bypass a few big cities and the crazy traffic pile ups. Plus there is a lot less traffic and hardly any big trucks. Although I must say that the truck traffic has been ticking up the last few times we went on the turnpike.

Since we only travel the TP once or twice yearly, it is not a big issue to us if the rates increase. I imagine to locals it’s rough.

The thing we see sometimes are people who don’t know that one has to PAY tolls. I get it, I was young once too. :)

I try to keep a bunch of $1.s tucked around my car in case- just for that particular reason.

[mass55th]

Sounds like the NY State Thruway. The first part of the Thruway from Utica to Rochester was opened in 1954. The project was to be financed through toll revenue bonds. Tolls were supposed to be eliminated once the bonds were paid off. The last of the bonds were paid off in 1996. Twenty years later, and tolls, which have gone up over the years are still being collected.

[Mears]

Thanks-—That’s approx.50% more——dreadful for folks who are on the road a lot.

Nebraska folks,and the like, would probably laugh at us.

[Paladin2]

So, the Pa. Turnpike is a Socialist spread the wealth endevour.

[BradyLS]

There’s a toll road across northern Indiana that stretches to Illinois that has been around for as long as I can remember (the 60’s.) When we were kids, we called it “The Toad Road.”

Chicago has had the Dan Ryan Expressway for at least as long. Austin, Texas is putting up toll roads. I imagine they’ll be around long after I die—which I hope isn’t for another 50 years at least!

They’re never honest about why they put them up nor for how long they’ll be up. As far as I’m concerned, the way they operate in the places I’ve driven them, they’re scams.

[ealgeone]

Guvment rarely lets go of easy money.

[ml/nj]

Boo hoo.

From anywhere in NJ to Long Island (a pretty common drive that can be under a half hour one way) the minimum toll is over $30 round-trip.

ML/NJ

[Intolerant in NJ]

I remember back in the day when the Penna Turnpike was going to stop charging tolls once they had collected enough to repay what it cost to build the thing - one of the earliest government soak the public scams.....

[Liz]

The first part of the NY State Thruway from Utica to Rochester was opened in 1954 to be financed through toll revenue bonds. Tolls were to be eliminated once the bonds were paid off. The last of the bonds were paid off in 1996. Twenty years later, and tolls, which have gone up over the years are still being collected.

Firstly, Bonding is eternal taxation.

Secondly, scratch a bond and the political filth comes oozing out.

The insider deals would make your skin crawl.

The citizenry pays and pays and pays.

[DoughtyOne]

told ya

Federal income taxes weren’t enough
State income taxes weren’t enough
County taxes weren’t enough
City taxes weren’t enough
Property taxes weren’t enough
Sales taxes weren’t enough
Utility taxes weren’t enough
Utility fees weren’t enough
Estate taxes weren’t enough
Gas taxes weren’t enough
And all the other taxes and fees I missed, they weren’t enough either.

No, someone came up with the terrific idea of tolls, and some of the stupidest people this side of a rubber room bought into it.

Sheesh!

[DoughtyOne]

Take note folks.

The Golden Gate Bridge was built with special bonds. An election was held in 1930, and it passed by a very wide margin.

Those bonds were paid off. Care to guess when? Those bonds were paid off in 1971, just 41 short years later.

It’s 2016 right now, and that 45 more years. That’s 45 years after the bridge tolls were eliminated right? HA!

People have been paying tolls on that bridge for 86 years now. They’ve been paying them longer after it was paid off than it took to pay it off.

http://goldengatebridge.org/research/BondMeasure.php

Here’s a link today’s costs. When you’re looking at the tolls, remember that those fees are passed off to people who buy anything that was carted across the bridge.

http://goldengatebridge.org/tolls_traffic/toll_rates.php

Wonder how much is siphoned off the public by the city of San Francisco each year, for crossing the bridge?

$!29,500,000 in fiscal year 2014/15.

http://goldengatebridge.org/research/crossings_revenues.php

When anyone asks you if you want to buy into a toll situation, please keep this in mind.

If you like tolls, drive to Florida where you can pass five toll booths easily on an afternoon drive. And when you return, you pass them again. Whoopieeeeeee...

Don’t you just love handing government your hard earned Shekels?

[Undecided 2012]

Hey, I drive that road every few years does anyone know “Do I need only an EZ pass now, can I still pay cash?”

[Impala64ssa]

I use the Suncoast Pkwy to when we go to the west end of Tampa or to Trop Field in St. pete. About $8, round trip with the Sunpass, but I avoid traffic on US 19, not to mention the way the buttholes drive around here, I consider it cheap collision insurance.

[Impala64ssa]

I got a collection of old road maps, from the NY Thruway & Garden St Pkwy commissions from the 50's and 60's. They all say the same thing, the tolls collected are paying off the bonds, when they're paid off around 1996 the tolls will be dismantled. 20 yrs later: