Controversial I-79 tolls may be stopped by newly passed State Senate bill

PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania State Senate just passed a bill that would stop a plan to tolls on I-79.

Those in support of the legislation say while they are in favor of fixing our roads and bridges – the process behind creating a new toll should be more transparent.

“This legislation is designed to correct the P3 board that has operated in a manner that was not intended when it was created,” Senator Robinson said on the Senate floor on Tuesday. “The P3 board overstepped its authority to impose a toll of $2.2 billion on Pennsylvania residents. This legislation is about giving a voice to the people who will be paying this tax.”

The Senate Bill 382 would accomplish the following things:

• Increase transparency by requiring PennDOT to publish a detailed analysis prior to the P3 Board’s voting meeting, and mandating PennDOT to distribute a copy of the P3 Board’s resolution, with or without a user fee, within 24 hours.
• Incorporate public input by creating a new 30-day public comment period prior to the P3 Board meeting.
• Create checks and balances on the obscure P3 Board by clarifying any P3 project with a user fee shall be deemed disapproved unless the General Assembly approves.
• Void the PennDOT Pathways Major Bridge P3 Initiative and require reconsideration by the P3 Board following the new process outlined in Senate Bill 382.

The P3 board was originally created to examine potential public transportation projects. According to PennDOT, the tolling would be entirely electronic and the money collected would be used only for the construction, maintenance and operation of each bridge. However, ever since the proposal was introduced, it’s been met with controversy from leaders and the community.

“It would certainly make me and everyone else, our commute more difficult. To pay to travel, just that little bit would slow down everyone’s commute that much more,” local driver Ryan Dowd explained.

Senator Devlin Robinson told Channel 11 that Senate Bill 382 would require analysis and a public comment period before PennDOT votes on a new toll.

“I’m against that they did not do a financial or secondary traffic study before implementing the toll. They did not look at what it would do to the businesses that had invested in the area.”

Click here to read more about which roads would be affected by the new bill and what was included in the previous decision.

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