A recent court decision to void Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to place tolls on nine major bridges across the state is a win for the state’s residents, state Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) said on Thursday.
On Thursday, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled in a memorandum that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (Penn DOT) Major Bridge P3 Initiative was void from the beginning because the initiative was approved in violation of Act 88, which governs the process through which government agencies may enter into agreements with private entities.
PennDOT introduced the $2.2 billion P3 initiative last year and chose the nine bridges to add tolling to pay for repairs and maintenance. The case reviewed by the court centered around a lawsuit filed by three municipalities in Allegheny County that opposed a new toll on the Bridgeville Bridge over I-79.
Baker, who opposed the plan, claimed the decision was a victory for Pennsylvanians concerned over the impact bridge tolls would have on local communities.
“Today’s decision is a win for motorists and communities across our region,” Baker said. “Without question, rising gasoline prices and inflation are serious concerns for every household as they claim a bigger piece of the family budget. I would like to thank the many area residents and business owners who took the time over the last year to express their concerns about the additional costs the plan would impose, as well as the traffic delays and difficulties that would arise from people choosing to divert to a local road network to avoid tolls.”
Senate Republicans also lauded the court’s ruling. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Bellefonte), Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland), and Senate Transportation Committee Chair Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) said the ruling supported joint actions by all branches of government.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for millions of Pennsylvania motorists who would have been impacted by Gov. Wolf’s bridge tolling scheme. The new tolls would have taken more money out of the pockets of drivers at a time when families can least afford new financial burdens – all without being properly vetted or approved by the people’s elected representatives,” the group wrote in a statement. “For yea s, the Wolf Administration has repeatedly tried to exceed its authority and ignore the separation of powers in state government… Government functions best when all parties are involved in negotiating a final product together.”
The group said they were ready to work with the Wolf administration and the House to determine how to fund the state’s roads and bridges.
In response to the ruling, U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) introduced an amendment to the FY 2023 Appropriations bill that would prevent PennDOT from using federal funds to build new tolls on existing roads and bridges.
“In the face of record-high inflation and unprecedented gas prices, PennDOT’s push to levy a new tax on Pennsylvanians is nothing short of cruel,” Reschenthaler said. “This tax would disproportionately hurt healthcare workers, building trade professionals, senior citizens on fixed incomes, and working families. While I recognize the need for Harrisburg to find a sustainable funding mechanism to fix the Commonwealth’s infrastructure, PennDOT should consider the current economy, community input, and the state’s budget surplus to find a solution.”
The amendment was blocked by members of the House Committee on Appropriations’, Reschenthaler’s office said.