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DECEMBER 29, 2009 | Commentary by DICK THORNBURGH
A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The top-heavy PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, is responsible for overseeing an exponentially smaller infrastructure than PennDOT. The PTC manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; PennDOT manages nearly 40,000 highway miles along with tens of thousands more miles of local roads, railways and bridges. There is an obvious opportunity to merge the two and save a wealth in funds.
DECEMBER 16, 2009 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
Five Threats to Pennsylvania's Prosperity
Pennsylvania has long been one of the most economically stagnant states in the nation. For the period 1991-2008, the Commonwealth ranked 45th in job growth, 46th in personal income growth, and 47th in population growth. Pennsylvania has also faired poorly in independent evaluations of states' business climates, in large part because of having the 11th highest state and local tax burden. Not surprisingly, the state also ranks low in interstate migration, having lost 56,000 net residents to other states from 2000 to 2008.
NOVEMBER 6, 2009 | Testimony by RANDAL O'TOOLE
Testimony on Proposed Pennsylvania High-Speed MagLev
The proposed 17-mile Pittsburgh Airport-to-Greensburg maglev line is projected to cost $3.7 billion, or nearly $220 million per mile. Projects like this typically go over budget by an average of 40 percent, so the real cost is likely to be more than $5.2 billion and more than $300 million per mile. That is easily enough money to build an eight-lane urban freeway of the same length (which typically costs well under $20 million per lane mile).
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 | Commentary by MICHAEL NEROZZI
Tolling I-80 is a Recipe for Disaster
Once again, state lawmakers, bureaucrats and special interest groups are looking for another way to grab more money from Pennsylvanians. The latest rendition is tolling Interstate 80 across the northern tier of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the I-80 tolling proposal doesn’t comply with federal law, ignores much-needed reform in transportation funding, and will harm Pennsylvania’s economy.
AUGUST 26, 2009 | Commentary
Keep on Truckin'
With Harrisburg gridlocked by the state budget impasse and Washington battling over national health care, an issue vital to Pennsylvania lurks below the radar. The debate is over the future of the trucking industry—more specifically, legislation that would bolster the transportation sector of our economy, help to adequately fund our interstates at no expense to the taxpayers, and reduce carbon emissions harmful to our environment.
JULY 23, 2009 | Commentary by RANDAL O'TOOLE
Why Pennsylvania Should Not Build High-Speed Rail
Last week, Gov. Rendell submitted an application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a share of the $8 billion of stimulus money Congress allocated for high-speed rail.
This raises a question for Pennsylvanians: Are you willing to pay $1,000 so that someone—probably not you—can ride high-speed trains less than 60 miles a year? That’s what the FRA’s high-speed rail plan is going to cost: at least $90 billion, or $1,000 for every federal income taxpayer in the country.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 | News Release by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Delay on Turnpike Lease Is Bad Policy
Commonwealth Foundation Urges Action on Lease Legislation
HARRISBURG, PA—Today, the Commonwealth Foundation called on the Pennsylvania legislature to consider Turnpike lease legislation before the end of the current legislative session.
“Allowing the lease to die without full consideration by both houses of the legislature would be irresponsible and would put political patronage before the needs of the taxpayer,” said Matthew Brouillette, president of the Commonwealth Foundation.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 | Policy Brief by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Paying for Our Paving: Why Leasing the Turnpike Makes Good Economic and Public Policy Sense
Introduction
How should Pennsylvania pay for its transportation infrastructure, now that the Federal Highway Administration has rejected the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s application to toll Interstate 80? Gas taxes? Vehicle fees? Tolls?
SEPTEMBER 4, 2008 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Act 44 & Transportation Funding
In July 2007, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed and Governor Ed Rendell signed Act 44. This legislation authorized the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) to increase tolls on the Turnpike; to take control of Interstate 80 by entering into a lease agreement with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT); to begin tolling Interstate 80; and to issue billions of dollars in bonded debt. Following are some answers to frequently asked questions about Act 44 of 2007 and transportation funding.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2008 | News Release by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Turnpike Commission Triples Act 44 Debt from $14 Billion to $44 Billion
Unpaid debt increases from $0 to $73 billion under PTC’s revised plans
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation presented an analysis of the proposed debt under the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposal to the federal government to toll Interstate-80.
