PennDOT is planning to toll nine bridges, including the I-79 bridge in Bridgeville in Allegheny County.
Pittsburghers, including a state senator, say the last thing we need to be doing right now is tolling major bridges across Pennsylvania.
One man tells Channel 11 that with rising gas prices, tolling bridges would be adding salt to the wound.
“People just cannot afford another tax just because they are going to work,” said Pete Linko. “They are just trying to put food on the table, and it’s not feasible to do this.”
Linko has become an unofficial spokesperson for commuters against PennDOT’s proposed plan to tax the I-79 bridge.
“If someone goes up and down this road, that’s over $1,000 extra just to go to work every year,” he said. “Let alone the people who have to drive up and down 79 a couple times a day.”
Linko isn’t just speaking out, he created a petition in the fall that he expects will hit 10,000 signatures by next week.
Signatures are all from drivers against tolling the highway, and what they fear will happen to Bridgeville as drivers try to avoid it. The most common route around it is through the small business district.
“Washington Pike is going to end up being more congested,” said Dallas Michelucci, who owns The Beauty Edit in the district. Michelucci says it’s hard to imagine thousands of drivers taking that street to avoid a PennDOT toll when that area is already congested twice a day.
“They’ve even tried to widen the street to make it better,” she said. “It hasn’t worked so far, even before the toll road is in the picture.”
Linko agrees, and with 9,000 signatures and counting, he hopes to send a message to PennDOT.
“People aren’t going to want to pay a toll,” he said. “They are going to be clogging the streets around, it’s already congested, they can’t take more traffic. Small businesses are going to be hurt by that.”
PennDOT told Channel 11 today that they will hold a public meeting late spring or early summer. Meanwhile, they are moving forward, and announced yesterday they have selected a team and entered a pre-development agreement.
Stay with Channel 11 News for updates on this situation.