Michigan Depth Chart

Ava R. Demichele

I was pleased to attend a recent public forum hosted by Mountain Top on the Move about Act 44, the new state law designed to address the commonwealth&rsquo;s well-documented transportation-funding crisis. 
This law will enable us to generate an average of $1.7 billion annually during the next 50 years to fix and maintain local roads and bridges and fund mass-transit agencies across the commonwealth. This includes investments in the 60-plus bridges in Luzerne County that have been rated as structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation. 
The Times Leader&rsquo;s coverage of that forum drives home the point that Act 44 will impact communities across the Interstate 80 corridor. The citizens who attended the forum raised legitimate questions and concerns. We welcome an open dialogue. That&rsquo;s why we pledged to convene a series of meetings like the one hosted last week by Mountain Top on the Move. You will be seeing a lot of our team in the coming months. 
Unfortunately, some Act 44 critics are relying on inaccurate information that warrants clarification. The Pennsylvania Turnpike does not have the highest toll rates in the nation. Pennsylvania would not have two of the costliest toll roads in the nation if Interstate 80 is tolled. In fact, the turnpike&rsquo;s mainline cost &mdash; 5.9 cents per mile for passenger vehicles &mdash; is cheaper than many toll roads. 
It places us 47th on a list of per-mile rates from 76 toll facilities nationwide. The Interstate 80 tolls would mirror those on the turnpike, which is fair to all motorists including truckers. 
We also know from experience that appropriate toll levels are a part of doing business for the trucking industry. Four years ago, we raised tolls on our system by 43 percent as part of a long-term plan to ensure sufficient revenues to fund turnpike maintenance and improvements. Critics voiced concerns that the increase would drive truck traffic to secondary roads. It didn&rsquo;t happen. 
In fact, truck volume actually increased in the first 12 months after the toll hike and has increased, on average, 2.5 to 3 percent a year annually since. 
Why? Trucking companies and truckers recognize the need for a safe, well-maintained roadway and will pay a higher toll for more efficient delivery of their goods, as was stated by an owner-operator in attendance at the meeting.
What&rsquo;s more, the turnpike intends to offer discounts to buses and trucks that take Interstate 80. Today, many carriers qualify for a toll discount &mdash; anywhere from 10-20 percent based on their monthly toll-bill total &mdash; on the turnpike. Known as the volume-discount program, the price-cut gives many companies that use E-ZPass an incentive to keep on using the toll road instead of seeking another route. We anticipate creating a similar discount program if tolls are implemented on Interstate 80.
We will invest $2 billion in Interstate 80 improvements in the next decade to make the road our next superhighway, turning the road into an economic development engine. We have worked with business leaders and business owners across our system for 67 years now and we look forward to working with business owners across the Interstate 80 corridor as well.
Critics also pitted rural against urban Pennsylvania in an attempt to discredit Act 44, but I want to set the record straight: No toll dollars collected on Interstate 80 will go to fund mass-transit agencies anywhere in the commonwealth. In fact, every dime of toll money collected on Interstate 80 will be used for highway and bridge improvements, with much of it earmarked for projects across the Interstate 80 corridor. 
Act 44 provides two revenue streams: turnpike bonds and Interstate 80 tolls. The state&rsquo;s 74 mass transit agencies will be funded by the former, not the latter.
I encourage readers to visit our Web page dedicated to Act 44 at  www.paturnpike.com to learn more about our efforts. For those unable to attend the recent meeting in Mountain Top, you will find an online option to make your voices heard electronically on this important issue.