The hike won’t be quite as sharp for EZ Pass commuters making the same trip at 62 cents. Rendell proposed two separate ideas to make the idea work. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation. Maine. In the 2017 fiscal year, the turnpike commission collected $1.1 billion in toll revenue when its own operating expenses were just $517 million. For most of its lifespan, the turnpike was funded by its own tolls under a “you use it, you pay for it” model. As encouraging as I find it to see a reader so well versed on the issues, I’ve got to admit there are few other positives to find from this mess. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information. A few months after that, a proposed lease of the Turnpike to a Spanish-American consortium for $12.8 billion over 75 years fell through. I-70 is duplexed with the PA turnpike through the middle of PA so you won't be able to avoid the tolls there. This past weekend I was in Malvern, PA. My GPS directed me to the nearest entrance to the PA Turnpike. Messages seeking comment were not returned by Teamsters officials at union offices in the Philadelphia suburbs and Pittsburgh. The term comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which is another name for toll roads. The special interest groups may have case law on their side. Alternate routes for driving from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article. That trend won’t go away anytime soon. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers. While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. The law required the turnpike commission to pay PennDOT hundreds of millions of dollars every year for the next 50 years. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. The turnpike said employees were notified earlier Tuesday. In case the turnpike commission is forced to make those refunds, its stopped making its quarterly payments to PennDOT. They are either approved or deleted. Tom Corbett, who found little support after he hiked the gas tax and limited the strain on the turnpike commission. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers. At Least 500 People Gather At Vigil For 10-Month-Old Girl Who Died After Allegedly Being Raped By Father, Police Searching For Killer Of 25-Year-Old Woman Whose Body Was Found Near Chester Waterfront, At Least 1 Person Dead After Another Night Of Gun Violence Across Philadelphia, National Faith & Blue Weekend Comes To Philadelphia As Violence In City Reaches Record Peaks, Conservationists Believe Up To 1,500 Birds Killed In Single Day After Flying Into Philadelphia Skyscrapers, Montgomery County DA: 10-Month-Old Girl Dies After Being Raped By Father In Lower Providence Township, Kayleigh McEnany To CBS3's Stephanie Stahl: 'We Don't Believe' President Trump Ignored COVID-19 Science, Reading Terminal Market Launches GoFundMe To Raise $250,000 To Weather Pandemic Impact, 'What A Baby': Social Media Reacts After Tom Brady Leaves Field Without Shaking Nick Foles' Hand Again, Police: Man Behind Deadly Rampage In Germantown Had Prior Weapons Charges, May Be Linked To Earlier Double Homicide. All rights reserved. Turnpike tolls have gone up every year for the past 11 years. It's been five years since Israel signed a landmark agreement to develop large offshore gas fields over the objections of antitrust authorities, environmentalists and consumer advocates. An Alabama man has been charged with killing someone who disappeared in Tennessee four years ago. All Rights Reserved. Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. To the state’s credit, it realized it was being unreasonable by forcing the turnpike to pass draconian annual hikes for the next 50 years. I have reached out to my local representatives questioning if anything can be done. Worse still, DePasquale’s report found that even with the hikes, the commission can only afford this if you assume the turnpike will see unprecedented growth in vehicles. Instead, I’m thinking their hands will be forced.