Wow, I’m absolutely shocked that PA turnpike tolls are increasing. I get to travel that again tonight.
What a thrill.
I remember when it was only $.25
Nice way they try to make it look like they are doing us a service. We maintain great roads so pay more so you can maintain that privilege.
“Of that amount, $3.625 billion has provided financial assistance to the commonwealth’s MASS TRANSIT AGENCIES and $2.25 billion has helped to fund off-Turnpike highway and bridge construction.”
So much for the line that ‘toll road users only pay for the road’ crap that the toll road lobby pushes here and elsewhere.
A decade or so ago, Pennsylvania applied to the feds to put tolls on Interstate 80 - a wet dream for them, since most of the traffic on that highway are out-of-state people (particularly the trucks). The federal law allowed conversion to tolls, but only if the toll money would be used to maintain the highway and NOTHING ELSE. Pennsylvania instead wanted to do the stunt they do with their Turnpike and hand most of the toll money to the big-city mayors. The feds said “screw-you, follow the law”. Instead of following the law, Pennsylvania determined that the tolls would have to be so low if only used to maintain the highway, that they dropped the whole idea.
And that’s the dirty little secret - if tolls are ONLY used for their particular highways, they would be MUCH LOWER than they presently are...but since politicians get away with diverting toll money, they’ll continue to do so.
Politicians shaking down the public for more money. Amazing! Shocking! Unheard of!
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.