Coalition Urges DOT to Reject I-80 Tolls in Pennsylvania

A coalition representing highway users said Friday it has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject a request from the Pennsylvania for permission to toll Interstate 80 in that state.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, Americans for a Strong National Highway Network said the proposal was “inconsistent with the provisions and spirit” of the federal pilot program that authorizes tolls on Interstate highways.

The tolling application, submitted jointly by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, proposes to impose tolls on I-80 at nine points.

PennDOT would lease the highway to the PTC, while the commission would collect tolls, with revenue being used in part to pay “rent” to PennDOT, which would use that money to fund state projects.

Most of the remainder of the revenue would be used for I-80 maintenance and improvement projects, and for toll collection expenses, the highway users group said.