Posted on Thu, Apr. 05, 2007
Bush official promotes Rendell's push to lease Pa. Turnpike
By Marc Levy
Associated Press

HARRISBURG - Gov. Rendell enlisted the Bush administration yesterday in his push to get wary legislators to agree to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Rendell, a Democrat, appeared with U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters to extol the benefits of a proposal to lease the turnpike, an arrangement Rendell hopes will provide nearly $1 billion a year for the state's highway network.

"This partnership," Peters said at a news conference in the state Capitol's rotunda, "could generate billions of dollars that could be used to repair deteriorating roads and bridges, and free up money for construction and keep the state moving both now and into the future."

Toll talk could hit barrier
By Paul Nussbaum
Inquirer Staff Writer

Imagine the new slogan on license plates: "Pennsylvania, Land of Tolls."

The state legislature is increasingly enchanted by the notion of converting free interstates into toll roads as a way to raise money for highway maintenance and mass transit operations.

When the state House reconvenes Monday to tackle transportation funding, there are likely to be new calls for new toll roads. I-80 across northern Pennsylvania. I-81 in eastern Pennsylvania. I-79 in western Pennsylvania. Even Philadelphia's two main interstates, the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and I-95.

But there are serious federal barriers to widespread tolling on existing interstates that could burst the bubble in Harrisburg.