PennDOT pushes forward on tolling bridges, but now lawmakers are hitting the brakes with new legislation
The plan includes tolling 9 bridges, with the I-83 John Harris Memorial South bridge among those slated for repairs that connects Harrisburg to Cumberland County. Author: Jamie Bittner (FOX43) Updated: 11:17 PM EST March 11, 2021
The PennDOT proposal that would toll 9 bridges in Pennsylvania to fund repair work now has a hurdle to jump as Republican lawmakers have introduced new legislation that would void the effort.
But, PennDOT counters the proposal is only possible because of a measure that had Republican support.
The ability for PennDOT to institute tolls on these bridges comes from Act 88 of 2012, and the Public-Private Partnership, or P3, which gives a private company room to toll for repairs, which then gives PennDOT the money acquired. In 2012, then-House Bill 3 passed the GOP-majority chamber, giving PennDOT the power to use toll
Mar 12, 2021
There are three redevelopment options for the 200-acre site of the old Allentown State Hospital along Hanover Avenue. Today s Morning Call reports all three of those options include a mix of residential, industrial, commercial and institutional land uses, all of which estimate thousands of new, permanent jobs and up to $6 million in tax revenue would accompany the redevelopment. All three feature hundreds of residential units, senior living, office space, retail and dozens of acres of preserved land. While the property is owned by the state, a committee consisting of local lawmakers will recommend a buyer for the site and the redevelopment plan to be implemented.
Bridge tolls ain’t it: Lawmakers introduce bill to void proposed PennDOT toll plan
Updated Mar 11, 2021;
Republican lawmakers on Thursday decried PennDOT’s proposal to toll bridges in the state to fund repair and replacement projects.
State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., a Republican representing Cambria, Bedford and Clearfield counties, said he became aware of the “major tolling initiative” when he took over as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
The plan was “lurking under the water” and would impact a significant number of Pennsylvanias, he said at a news conference Thursday in Harrisburg.
The toll initiative under PennDOT’s Pathways Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership (P3) was approved without revealing which projects would be affected: PennDOT identified the nine bridges last month. Langerholc said the decision was also made with input from the trucking industry.
Feb 26, 2021
Sen. Scott Hutchinson agrees with Gov. Tom Wolf that Pennsylvania must expand high-speed internet service to all corners of the Commonwealth.
Hutchinson, R-Butler/Clarion/Forest/Venango/Warren, said broadband expansion must be a top priority one that is acted on quickly and funded by the commonwealth’s existing resources as opposed to the Wolf Administration’s proposal to rely on additional state borrowing.
“Pennsylvania spends millions of dollars each year in discretionary funds for non-vital projects. There is no reason why that money cannot be repurposed for broadband expansion, a service that is essential now,” Hutchinson said. “The governor’s proposal that relies on newly borrowed money will just end up delaying the work in the field and passing the costs – inflated by interest – on to future generations of Pennsylvanians.”
Pennsylvania Casino Raid Results in Criminal Charges casino.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from casino.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.