In response to public concerns about the impact of tolling I-80, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has engaged economic specialists to seek answers to a number of concerns posed by the public, most notably how transportation costs might affect economic trends throughout the I-80 corridor.
In addition to examining the impacts of tolling, the economic study team will also investigate the benefits that such user fees can deliver. One primary area of study will be to assess how increased capital spending, anticipated as a result of Act 44, could have an effect on employment along the I-80 corridor. As part of the visioning process the team will consider:
I-80 as an economic corridor by examining business and industry trends,
I-80 as a freight and goods movement corridor by analyzing the trucking and distribution industries, and
I-80 as a technology corridor by exploring needs and incentives to help the corridor become more competitive while seeding future growth, such as installing a fiber-optic trunk line to link the region’s economic, academic and business institutions. Many other feasible strategies will be considered in coordination with local planning agencies.
The independent study is being led by the Economic Architecture practice of GSP Consulting, Pittsburgh, which will provide economic development and industry analyses expertise. Wilbur Smith Associates, of New Haven, Conn., the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s traffic consultant with nationally renowned freight expertise, will assist in evaluating the effects on the trucking, warehousing and distribution industries.
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