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Pa. Commonwealth Court permanently blocks Gov. Tom Wolf's bridge tolling plan
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2022/06/30/pa-bridge-tolling-plan-blocked-commonwealth-court-judges-governor-tom-wolf-penndot/stories/202206300111
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Thursday permanently blocked Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to toll as many as nine major state bridges, including one on Interstate 79 in Bridgeville, ruling his administration had not properly followed state law in getting the plan approved.
A panel from the court sided with the towns of Bridgeville, Collier and South Fayette to end the tolling plan. In a separate case from May, a Commonwealth Court judge imposed a temporary injunction on the tolling projects.
PennDOT has said the bridges are in deteriorating condition and wants to use tolls to pay for replacement and maintenance, while bringing on a private firm to complete the work. The agency got unanimous approval for the proposal from the state’s Public-Private Partnership Board in November 2020, and only announced in February 2021 which bridges it intended to use for the program.
As of mid-May, contract negotiations were underway between PennDOT and Macquarie Infrastructure Developments, LLC. of Australia, an international group chosen to run the bridge replacements. Tolls hadn’t been formally set, but were expected to be around a dollar or two.
A panel from the court sided with the towns of Bridgeville, Collier and South Fayette to end the tolling plan. In a separate case from May, a Commonwealth Court judge imposed a temporary injunction on the tolling projects.
PennDOT has said the bridges are in deteriorating condition and wants to use tolls to pay for replacement and maintenance, while bringing on a private firm to complete the work. The agency got unanimous approval for the proposal from the state’s Public-Private Partnership Board in November 2020, and only announced in February 2021 which bridges it intended to use for the program.
As of mid-May, contract negotiations were underway between PennDOT and Macquarie Infrastructure Developments, LLC. of Australia, an international group chosen to run the bridge replacements. Tolls hadn’t been formally set, but were expected to be around a dollar or two.
Post-Gazette graphic showing proposed tollbridges:
- more at link -
Gov. Wolf discovered how to make Pennsylvanians mad - charge them for driving over bridges so the state can afford to pay for desperately needed repairs.
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