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What is Act 44 and what does it do?
This state law, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Rendell in July 2007, is designed to address the state’s transportation funding crisis. Under Act 44, the will lease I-80 from and implement a tolling system. Additionally, the PTC will raise tolls on its mainline and sell bonds based on future toll revenues. The PTC has provided payments to PennDOT for the repair and maintenance of local roads and bridges and to help fund Pennsylvania’s 73 mass transit agencies. To view the payment schedule, CLICK HERE. The new funding stream will yield an average of more than $2.3 billion per year, $116 billion in total over the life of the 50-year lease. To access a copy of Act 44, CLICK HERE.
Where does the money come from and where will it go?
Act 44 allows:
- Increased tolls on the existing Pennsylvania Turnpike,
- New tolls authorized on I-80, and
- The sale of Turnpike bonds.
Toll revenue collected on I-80 will be reinvested in I-80. The PTC plans to invest more than $2.5 billion over the next 10 years in I-80 rehabilitation and reconstruction of roadway, bridges, interchanges, and intelligent transportation systems. Another $1 billion will be used for ongoing resurfacing, asset management, operating and maintenance costs.
How will you implement Act 44?
The PTC and PennDOT are working together to implement Act 44. In October 2007, the PTC signed a 50-year lease agreement for I-80 with PennDOT. The PTC and PennDOT have filed a Phase I Application with the , seeking authorization to toll I-80 as part of a pilot program authorized in the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21). The federal review and approval process associated with Phase II of the application will take at least 12 months to complete, and the earliest tolls would be collected on I-80 is the year 2010.
Did the General Assembly consider other options before passing Act 44?
The General Assembly and the Rendell Administration considered several options to address the funding crisis before approving Act 44. Those options included a steep increase in the gasoline tax and other fees and/or taxes. Many of these options were debated on the House and Senate floor and were the subject of numerous public hearings. Ultimately, Act 44 was passed because it represents a fair and balanced approach to raising the necessary revenue. Pennsylvania’s approach will serve as a model for other states as officials come to terms with the fact that the gas tax no longer works as the principal revenue source for transportation projects.
Why weren’t there Public Meetings along the corridor before Act 44 was passed?
The legislative process is an inherently public process. Bills are proposed and debated in both houses in public sessions; votes are cast in public, widely reported, and documented. While the process is open to the public and often televised statewide, the process does not require Public Meetings on every issue. However, like any major transportation project, there are many stages in the implementation process for the tolling of I-80. State legislation is the beginning of this process, not the end. The PTC is conducting an extensive public outreach program. With the first round of Public Meetings completed in November 2007, the next round will focus on toll collection locations. The impacts of tolling will be studied and presented to the public, environmental documents will be prepared, and FHWA approval will be sought. Public input will be an important part of this process before the project can be fully implemented.
What is the transportation funding crisis?
The Transportation Funding and Reform Commission issued a report in November 2006 that confirmed a funding crisis exists for transportation facilities in the Commonwealth. The report stated that Pennsylvania has more than twice the percentage of structurally deficient bridges than the national average, and more than a third of the 21,000 miles of state-owned secondary roads are rated poor. Pennsylvania’s state-owned bridges are on average 50 years old. The report identified an annual need of $1.6 billion in additional funding for the transportation network. To review the executive summary of this report, CLICK HERE. Act 44 is designed to begin addressing the need to repair these roads and bridges while making critical investments in the Commonwealth’s 73 public transportation systems.
What caused the crisis?
There is no single cause that led to the funding crisis, but the fact remains that the current funding system is inadequate. State and federal funding levels for transportation have not increased with the rate of inflation and the recent double digit inflation in construction costs has made the situation worse. National efforts to reduce gasoline consumption by vehicles have succeeded, and while this is good national policy, it equates to decreased revenue from gas taxes. To compound the challenge, this year, for the first time ever, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) have decreased, causing less gasoline to be consumed thereby reducing the revenue from gas taxes. Lawmakers and experts from across the country agree that alternative funding solutions are needed.
How will the Act 44 money be spent?
Act 44 stipulates that the PTC will make annual payments to PennDOT. These payments will average $1.67 billion a year for the next 50 years for roads, bridges and mass transit. For the first time, the Commonwealth has a funding stream that rises each year to keep pace with inflation, and that covers the entire transportation network. The funds will be distributed by PennDOT.
Why does the state want to put tolls on I-80?
Tolls are required in order to provide the additional funding needed to make critical improvements to I-80 that cannot be funded with available PennDOT resources. Other options like a gas tax increase have not come to fruition. Since I-80 and the Turnpike Mainline are the two major east/west interstates that cross the Commonwealth, applying a uniform pricing strategy to both cross-state corridors will minimize the traffic diversion to I-80 and other tax-supported state highways that will likely occur when tolls are increased on the existing Turnpike Mainline alone. Tolls are an equitable way to raise the revenue to support the maintenance of the roads that people use and rely on most.
Won’t tolls hurt local businesses and the local economy?
Obviously toll costs will affect certain groups and certain industries. It is our hope that the long-term benefits of keeping I-80 and other major roads in good shape through efficient use of toll revenues will eventually offset the negative impacts of increased costs in the short-term. A strong transportation system is a critical component to economic growth.
What can the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) do as part of the tolling project to stimulate economic growth along the I-80 corridor?
The PTC has assembled a team of consultants to assess current economic conditions and potential impacts related to the proposed tolling of I-80.
The Economic Study will consider the general impact of Act 44 in addition to the impact of tolling I-80 on residents, businesses and communities along the corridor. The Study will also consider potential economic mitigation policies that will support and promote growth and development along the corridor, including the role that I-80 plays in freight movement and technological growth and development.
In addition to examining the impacts of tolling I-80, the team will also investigate the benefits. One primary area of study will be to assess the effect of additional capital spending – resulting from Act 44 – on employment within the highway corridor.
Won’t trucks use local roads to avoid paying the tolls?
This is a valid concern for local residents and the PTC. PTC statistics show that truck traffic on the Turnpike mainline has steadily increased about 2.5 percent annually following the last toll increase, which went into effect in 2004. As part of the I-80 Project, the PTC will conduct a traffic and revenue study that will focus in part on potential diversion of truck traffic from I-80 to local roads. Study results will be shared with the public and used to help make decisions on the location of toll facilities.
Will there be toll booths at every interchange?
No. Unlike the existing Turnpike, I-80 will not be run as a “closed system” with physical tollbooths at each interchange. We anticipate up to 10 collection points along I-80 (on average, every 30 miles). With 59 existing interchanges, there would be a toll collection facility, on average, every five to six interchanges, allowing many local trips to remain free. Initial indications show that an estimated one-third of daily passenger trips will not have to pay a toll because they will not pass through a toll gantry while traveling on I-80. To date, three different toll collection scenarios have been investigated and considered.
- The first scenario involves installing overhead toll collection facilities for electronic toll collection using express E-ZPass lanes, as well as offering conventional manned cash lanes for non-E-ZPass customers.
- The second approach is similar with the exception of fully automated cash lanes as an alternative.
- The third method would rely exclusively on Open Road Tolling (ORT), with overhead gantries for electronic collection using express E-ZPass, supplemented by Video Tolling.
ORT is the preferred toll collection scenario at this time.
Where will the toll facilities be located?
The process for sighting the toll plazas begins with a Traffic and Revenue Study to identify a range of potential locations. These locations will then be examined for suitability of construction based on factors such as roadway vertical geometry (the steepness of the grade) and horizontal geometry (the straightness of the road), the presence of sensitive environmental features, and the availability of utilities.
As the locations are studied and refined, the PTC will coordinate closely with the public to share this information and receive additional feedback. The preliminary toll plaza location studies will be shared with the public later this year.
How much will it cost to use I-80?
The tolling structure will be finalized in our Traffic and Revenue Study. Toll rates will match Turnpike Mainline toll rates, which in 2010 are expected to be eight cents per mile for cars and 30 cents per mile for the average truck. This would result in a cost of about $25 for a car to cross the state, and $100 for the average truck. Initial indications show that an estimated one-third of daily passenger trips will not have to pay a toll because they will not pass through a toll gantry while traveling on I-80.
Will toll revenues go to fund mass transit agencies?
For the first time, the Commonwealth has a funding stream that:
- increases each year to keep pace with inflation,
- covers the entire transportation network, and
- is driven by user fees.
The lease agreement between PennDOT and the PTC stipulates that no toll revenues collected on I-80 will go to fund mass transit agencies.
What is the difference between roadway reconstruction and roadway preservation?
Roadway preservation involves resurfacing the top layer of black top on a roadway. The black top layer needs to be replaced every 8-12 years. Roadway reconstruction involves the replacement of the original sub-base, original concrete pavement, and the black top surface of the roadway. Reconstruction should occur every 50-60 years.
What is a fracture critical bridge?
Fracture Critical bridges would be expected to fail/collapse if one of the main load-carrying components or connections would fail, such as a beam, girder, or truss chord. Bridges designed today typically have multiple load paths to create redundancy; therefore failure of a single component should not result in collapse.
What is a functionally obsolete bridge?
Functionally Obsolete is an indication of the bridge’s overall status in terms of the ability to service the traveling public. This type of bridge has older features (for example, road widths and vertical clearances) compared to more recently built bridges.
What is a structurally deficient bridge?
The term Structurally Deficient refers to the bridge’s overall condition in terms of structural soundness. Structurally Deficient indicates that the bridge has significant deterioration to one or more of its major components, has load restrictions, or is closed to traffic. It does not necessarily mean that the bridge is unsafe, just that it needs to be monitored and/or repaired.
Will there be service plazas similar to those on the mainline Turnpike?
No. There are no plans to construct any service plazas on I-80; therefore, local businesses serving I-80 travelers will not be affected by new service plazas.
Will the level of maintenance on I-80 change?
PennDOT has made significant investments in improving I-80 in recent years. The PTC will build on that track record and plans on an estimated $1 billion investment in maintenance and operations over the next decade. Improvements would include repaving and other work designed to make the road safer, smoother and more efficient. PennDOT and the PTC are working to establish Maintenance & Operating Standards for the new facility.
Will there be emergency call boxes?
The answer to this question has not yet been determined. The PTC will operate and maintain I-80 using many of the safety features enjoyed by travelers on the Turnpike’s Mainline. Such features will enhance communication and response to emergencies and other situations.
Will the bridges with low clearance be corrected?
Yes. The PTC will replace ALL substandard bridges with less than 15 feet of vertical clearance in the first 10 years of the Capital Improvement Program.
What is the Turnpike Commission’s role?
The General Assembly and Governor Rendell agreed that the PTC is the ideal agency to manage, operate, maintain the facility and collect tolls. Tolling I-80 will allow the PTC to invest more than $2.5 billion over the next 10 years in I-80 rehabilitation and reconstruction of roadway, bridges, interchanges, and intelligent transportation systems. Another $1 billion will be used for ongoing resurfacing, asset management, and operating maintenance costs.
Does the state need federal approval to toll I-80?
Yes. PennDOT and the PTC have jointly submitted a Phase I Application to the FHWA, requesting approval to toll I-80 as part of the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program established in TEA-21. To review that application CLICK HERE. Phase II of the federal review process is anticipated to take up to one year. We will post updates to our website at www.paturnpike.com/I-80 throughout the process. Additionally, there will be public meetings along the entire I-80 corridor at appropriate points in the process to ensure that the public is informed and has the opportunity to provide input.
Is there a lease between the Turnpike and PennDOT?
Yes. In compliance with Act 44, the PTC entered into a 50-year agreement with PennDOT in October 2007 to lease I-80 and assume responsibility for managing the interstate. To view payment information, CLICK HERE.
How do I get involved?
Public Meetings will be scheduled at various points in the project development process. Stay tuned to the website at www.paturnpike.com/i80 for Public Meeting and event information along with the most current news on the project. Please use the site as a resource to review progress and to submit questions or clarify rumors you might have heard. We welcome the opportunity to address civic groups and other organizations. To contact the Project Team with your speaker request CLICK HERE.
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