Increasing tolls in the midst of a national economic crisis doesn’t make sense. Hasn’t anybody considered the economic hardship that increasing tolls will further present?
It has long been understood that a quality transportation system, together with other infrastructure, is a keystone of economic growth and development. Better roads, bridges and transportation helps to drive more jobs and prosperity. However, when faced with flattening revenues as the result, gas tax increases that have not kept pace with inflation, and declining fuel consumption, it is clear that alternative means for generating sufficient transportation revenues are needed. Using Turnpike toll revenues to help fund transportation statewide, when kept in context of the provisions of Act 44, will help to ensure that transportation revenues are inflation sensitive, user-based and fair.
