Lawmakers criticize plan to toll bridges
One of the bridges is in Berks County
State senators accused PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian of not providing legislators or the public with enough information on a novel plan to pay for the rehabilitation of nine bridges by collecting tolls.
Wayne Langerholc Jr., chairman of the Senate transportation committee, said Wednesday, April 21, the legislators were not notified of the tolling project before it was announced in a press release.
The Interstate 78 bridge in Lenhartsville is one of the nine bridges under consideration for the tolling.
The bridge crosses Maiden Creek in Greenwich Township and serves as an overpass to Route 143. The township has opposed the tolls.
Langerholc, a Johnstown Republican, said the idea was not explained in a public bulletin or at a public hearing for the lawmakers and citizens to attend.
Instead, the lawmaker said, the tolling project was announced through a press release.
“Can you honestly say this is transparency?” Langerholc asked during a state Senate budget hearing before the appropriations committee.
“Yes,” Gramian replied. “There were a lot of discussions in July and August with federal authorities and transportation peers evaluating and studying it.”
Langerholc said there is a dire need for more public discussions with the state and local communities.
He also asked if another plan becomes available would PennDOT back off the tolling.
Gramian said PennDOT would not drop the tolling plans, noting that any other funding solutions would be additional help.
The secretary noted that PennDOT’s proposed $8.6 billion budget provides only the basic maintenance of the state’s roads and bridges.
She said there is a $9.3 billion shortfall in the fiscal year of 2021.
Funding challenges
The bridge tolling is the first step PennDOT is looking to help with declining revenue due to fewer motorists driving, resulting in less revenue from gas taxes, which is the primary revenue stream for road and bridge repair.
Gramian said that 74 percent of the funding for road and bridge repairs is from the gas tax.
For every gallon of gas, there’s a 57.6 cent tax to PennDOT and an 18.5 cent tax to the federal government.
Gramian also noted that more motorists are purchasing electric vehicles, which do not use gas or have a tax.
She said the $2.2 billion cost to rehabilitate the nine bridges would be funded by the $1 to $2 tolls on the bridges.
It would be paid over 30 years. The construction would begin in 2023.
At the close of the twohour hearing, Sen. Patrick M. Browne, chairman of the appropriations committee, said lawmakers did not expect to be left out of an important decision on tolling bridges.
“That is where the frustration comes from,” he said. “I would ask that you reconsider that decision. No transportation decision has ever been reached without our collective engagement.”
Browne said that 20 years from now, the gas tax will be obsolete.
“We have a transportation funding situation that is cobbled together with Scotch tape,” he said. “The nation is still relying on a dying model.”
Sen. Elder A. Vogel Jr., vice chairman of the appropriations committee, asked Gramian if she would announce in a press release a decision to tax the electric vehicles.
“How do you think the people would react?” asked the Republican, who represents Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.
Gramian said any charge
that goes through for electric vehicles will go through the legislators.
Browne said the Senate is interested in moving forward with Gramian as a team.
“In order for lawmakers to support the funding, they need to know all of the details,” he said. “It has been the culture throughout my entire career for PennDOT to trust us.”
Browne asked Gramian to engage with the lawmakers to resolve the funding issues.
Gramian, who was answering questions from lawmakers for over two hours, said this was a tough session.
“I am still trying to figure out all of these charts that I receive from my fiscal team,” she said. “I am sorry
there is a lack of trust.”
Gramian said it was a difficult year with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all want to do a good job,” Gramian said. “We had to face a lot of new issues. We always worked as a team.”
Gramian said that PennDOT has no hidden agenda.
“We have one agenda and that is to serve,” Gramian said.
Browne said there are some serious issues facing the transportation funding that is critical for economic development.
“If we are going to move forward on something that is new and bold, we have to work together,” he said.
“I appreciate all of the work your department did this last year.”