PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2941 PRINTER'S NO. 3032
No. 2137 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY J. EVANS, GEIST, GOOD, ARMSTRONG, BALDWIN, HARPER, MAHER, McGILL, SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, STAIRS, WATSON, BEBKO- JONES, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, DENLINGER, FABRIZIO, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, McILHATTAN, MUSTIO, PERZEL, PHILLIPS, REICHLEY, ROSS, SEMMEL, E. Z. TAYLOR AND CREIGHTON, OCTOBER 25, 2005
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NOVEMBER 1, 2005
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of September 30, 1985 (P.L.240, No.61), 2 entitled "An act to facilitate vehicular traffic within and 3 across the Commonwealth by providing for the construction, 4 reconstruction, improvement, operation and maintenance of 5 toll roads and the conversion of existing toll-free roads to 6 toll roads in Pennsylvania; conferring powers and imposing 7 duties on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; providing for 8 membership on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; 9 authorizing issuance of turnpike revenue bonds, notes or 10 other obligations of the commission, payable solely from 11 revenues of the commission, including tolls, or from such 12 other funds as may be available to the commission for that 13 purpose, to pay the costs of such toll roads including the 14 acquisition and other costs of toll-free roads and for 15 refunding purposes; providing that no debt of the 16 Commonwealth shall be incurred in the exercise of any of the 17 powers granted by this act; providing for the collection of 18 tolls for the payment of such bonds, notes or other 19 obligations, and for the cost of maintenance, operation and 20 repair of the toll roads including toll-free roads converted 21 to toll roads; making such turnpike revenue bonds, notes or 22 other obligations exempt from taxation; constituting the same 23 legal investments in certain instances; requiring suits 24 against the commission to be brought in the courts in which 25 such actions may be brought against the Commonwealth; 26 prescribing conditions on which toll roads shall be turned 27 over to the Department of Transportation; providing for grade 28 separations, grade changes, relocations, restorations and 29 vacations of public roads and State highways affected by the
1 toll roads; providing for the purchasing or condemnation of 2 land and procedure for determining damages in condemnation; 3 granting certain powers and authority to municipalities and 4 agencies of the Commonwealth to cooperate with the 5 commission; conferring powers and imposing duties on the 6 Department of Transportation; authorizing the Secretary of 7 Transportation to enter into negotiations with the United 8 States Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway 9 Administration or any other Federal agency regarding the 10 conversion of toll-free highways constructed in the 11 Commonwealth using Federal funds to toll roads; and 12 authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to enter into 13 agreements on behalf of the Commonwealth and the commission 14 with the United States Department of Transportation, the 15 Federal Highway Administration or any other Federal agency 16 with respect to obtaining Federal funds for resurfacing, 17 restoring, rehabilitating or reconstructing toll roads in 18 Pennsylvania," further providing for collection and 19 disposition of tolls. 20 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 21 hereby enacts as follows: 22 Section 1. Section 16 of the act of September 30, 1985 23 (P.L.240, No.61), known as the Turnpike Organization, Extension 24 and Toll Road Conversion Act, is amended to read: 25 Section 16. Collection and disposition of tolls and other 26 revenue. 27 (a) Establishment and changes in toll amounts.--Subject to 28 the terms of any trust indenture entered into by the commission 29 and any resolution authorizing the issuance of any bonds, notes 30 or other obligations of the commission, the commission is hereby 31 authorized to fix, and to revise, from time to time, tolls for 32 the use of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System and the different 33 parts or sections thereof, including the turnpike, the turnpike 34 extensions and improvements and the toll road conversions 35 authorized by this act, and to charge and collect the same, and 36 to contract with any person, partnership, association or 37 corporation desiring the use of any part thereof, including the 38 right-of-way adjoining the paved portion, for placing thereon 39 telephone, telegraph, electric light or power lines, gas 20050H2137B3032 - 2 -
1 stations, garages, stores, hotels, restaurants and advertising 2 signs, or for any other purpose, except for tracks for railroad 3 or railway use, and to fix the terms, conditions, rents and 4 rates of charges for such use. Tolls shall be so fixed and 5 adjusted as to provide funds at least sufficient with other 6 revenues of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, if any, to pay: 7 (1) the cost of constructing, maintaining, repairing and 8 operating the Pennsylvania Turnpike System and the different 9 parts and sections thereof; and 10 (2) any bonds, notes or other obligations and the 11 interest thereon of the commission, and all sinking fund 12 requirements of the commission, and other requirements 13 provided for by any resolution authorizing the issuance of 14 the bonds, notes or other obligations by the commission, or 15 by any trust indenture to which the commission is a party, as 16 the same shall become due. 17 (b) Restrictions on toll revenue.--Tolls shall not be 18 subject to supervision or regulation by any other State 19 commission, board, bureau or agency. Subject to the terms of any 20 presently existing trust indenture entered into by the 21 commission and any presently existing resolution authorizing the 22 issuance of any bonds, notes or other obligations of the 23 commission, the tolls and all other revenue derived from the 24 Pennsylvania Turnpike System shall be set aside and pledged as 25 may be provided in any resolutions, trust indentures or any 26 other agreements that the commission may hereafter adopt or 27 hereafter enter into with respect to the issuance of bonds, 28 notes or other obligations of the commission. 29 (c) Off-peak electronic toll collection pilot program.--The 30 commission shall establish a policy of off-peak pricing or fare 20050H2137B3032 - 3 -
1 differential as a one-year pilot program. The following shall 2 apply: 3 (1) The commission shall offer a minimum fare discount 4 of 25% for all classes of vehicles exiting the turnpike using 5 the electronic toll system between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 5:30 a.m. commencing Sunday night and continuing through the 7 next following Friday morning in urban districts or in <-- 8 counties of the second or third class. 9 (2) A midday discount between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 10 p.m. shall be instituted in counties of the second class <-- 11 Mondays through Fridays. P.M. MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS SHALL <-- 12 BE INSTITUTED FOR ALL CLASSES OF VEHICLES EXITING THE 13 TURNPIKE USING THE ELECTRONIC TOLL SYSTEM. A similar discount 14 may be instituted on weekends to encourage additional 15 vehicles or vehicle classes to use the turnpike. 16 (3) The commission shall provide quarterly reports to 17 the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation 18 Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority 19 chairman of the Transportation Committee of the House of 20 Representatives beginning 60 days after the effective date of 21 this section SUBSECTION. <-- 22 (4) The pilot program shall begin no later than 120 days 23 after the effective date of this section SUBSECTION. <-- 24 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. J20L36BIL/20050H2137B3032 - 4 -