Posted on 08/23/2007 1:55:20 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The plan to convert the 311-mile-long Interstate-80 into a toll road is part of Act 44 in Pennsylvania.
Overall, the legislation generates a huge amount of money to accomplish a wide range of bridge and road improvements, including those on Pennsylvania's interstates, the turnpike and secondary highways.
Those projects will be funded with borrowed money that will be repaid by tolls on I-80 and the turnpike. Tolls on the 530-mile long turnpike will be increased by 25 percent in 2009 and 3 percent each successive year. The same tolls charged on the turnpike will be charged on I-80.
Specifically, Act 44 authorizes PennDOT to lease I-80 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to operate, maintain and improve the highway under a 50-year lease agreement. There would be 10 electronic toll booths installed along the highway.
Joseph Brimmeier, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, outlined how it will work.
* The proposal provides an average of $945 million each year for the next 12 years for highway and bridge repairs across the state. It will also help Pennsylvania's 73 transit systems.
* It will raise about $1 billion a year over the 50-year life of the agreement that allows the Turnpike Commission to take over I-80.
* For the first time ever, said Brimmeier, the budget solution "establishes an inflation-resistant, long-term funding stream to solve Pennsylvania's transportation funding crisis."
* It immediately gives enough money to speed up critical highway and bridge projects across the state's northern tier.
* It ensures public management of Pennsylvania's infrastructure, as opposed to selling off parts to private corporations, and guarantees there is significant capital investment in the state's transportation network.
* More than 50 percent of the monies raised will be earmarked for roads and bridges. Less than that will go to public transit systems in 73 communities across Pennsylvania.
* All toll revenue from I-80 will be re-invested in that specific highway as well as state and local roads and bridges in the I-80 corridor.
Interstate 80, opened in segments between 1960 and 1970, is a transcontinental highway extending from New York to San Francisco across 11 states. I-80 is presently tolled in Ohio and Indiana.
In Pennsylvania, the 311-mile I-80 runs from Ohio to New Jersey. It is a four-lane divided highway with 58 interchanges and 425 bridges.
I thought it was fifty, I stand corrected. Though I now think the Indiana legislature may have rocks in there heads. Depending on how much cash they got, a 75 year lease is probably excessive.
Eisenhower was influenced by the Autobahns, but the roots of the Interstate system go back to the late 30’s in the US. The states have always owned and operated them from the passage of the Federal Aid Highway act back in the 50’s.
By coincidence, George Strait owns one bridge...the Golden Gate (at least he implies he does in his "ocean-front property in Arizona" song). But that's part of US 101, not the interstate system.
A long time ago there was an article in The New Yorker magazine (in the pre-Tina Brown days when it was sometimes readable), based on the author's experiences riding around the country in 18-wheelers. I remember that a truckdriver in Pennsylvania told him they had the worst roads of anywhere.
Ok ....
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