THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, GABLER, OBERLANDER, MILLARD, FAIRCHILD, BELFANTI, BOBACK, BROOKS, CAUSER, EVERETT, HANNA, HARHART, HARRIS, MAJOR, METCALFE, MOUL, MUSTIO, PEIFER, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, RAPP, ROAE, ROHRER, SCAVELLO, S. H. SMITH, SONNEY, STEVENSON, TALLMAN, TRUE, TURZAI AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 25, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 25, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Recommending that the Department of Transportation and the

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission do not resubmit their joint

application to the Federal Highway Administration for

authorization to toll Interstate 80.

WHEREAS, On September 11, 2008, the Federal Highway

Administration rejected Pennsylvania’s application to toll

Interstate 80, making it clear in its decision that

Pennsylvania’s proposal failed to meet the criteria of a Federal

pilot program permitting the tolling of interstates; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Highway Administration rejected

Pennsylvania’s application to toll Interstate 80 on the grounds

that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s payments to the

State were not based on a fair market valuation and were not

allowable as operating costs; and

WHEREAS, In the wake of its rejection of Pennsylvania’s

application to toll Interstate 80, the Federal Highway

Administration has proposed a new Federal regulation that

explicitly requires state departments of transportation to

obtain a fair market valuation as part of a toll concession

agreement;and

WHEREAS, In announcing their decision, Federal officials

indicated that reapplication by Pennsylvania would likely result

in the same decision; and

WHEREAS, Tolling Interstate 80 would have a devastating

effect on economic development in the already economically

depressed rural communities along the I-80 corridor and would

place a severe burden on both businesses and local residents;

and

WHEREAS, The nation’s interstate highway system was built

with taxpayer money; and

WHEREAS, Tolling interstate highways is tantamount to double

taxation; and

WHEREAS, In 2005 the Department of Transportation, with

assistance from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, completed

an Interstate 80 Tolling Study which concluded that tolling I-80

was not recommended and should not be pursued; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives accept the

decision of the Federal Highway Administration and discourage

the Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Commission from reapplying for Federal authorization to toll

Interstate 80.