The battle to toll Pennsylvania Interstate 80 is revving up again after a study released Monday showed tolling could be more harmful than beneficial to the state's economy and citizens.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has been applying to the federal government to toll I-80 since 2007. Adding tolling plazas along the interstate could bring in between $350 million and $400 million the first year, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman Carl DeFebo said.
But not everyone is happy with the idea.
A study done by a professor at Grove City College shows that more than 75,000 jobs in counties close to I-80 are related to or rely on the highway.
Be they roadside diners catering to drivers or small businesses shipping goods across the state, Grove City College associate professor of economics Tracy Miller said Pennsylvania businesses are dependent on low-cost interstate travel.
"Your cost of shipping things is going to go up and the number of customers who will be driving on I-80, and thereby stopping at businesses along I-80, will go down," Miller said. "At least a number of them will have employers negatively impacted by costs associated with tolls."
Miller's study also found that cars and trucks might choose to take secondary routes to avoid paying the tolls -- which could lead to more accidents.
"The problem there is that accident rates on secondary roads and highways ... are higher than they are on interstate highways, which are designed to be especially safe and for lots of trucks," Miller said. "The result would be more accidents, including more fatalities, if you have trucks getting off I-80 and taking alternate routes to avoid tolls."
Congressman Glenn Thomp-son, R-Pa., said he has been opposed to tolling I-80 from the start and will continue to fight against it. Under Act 44, he said, tolls from I-80 would be put toward repaying the debt the turnpike commission has incurred.
"I'm going to continue to be vigilant and do everything I can to keep that from happening," Thompson said. "Unfortunately, I think folks who are proposing to toll I-80 are not paying attention to facts."
Tor Michaels, chief of staff for state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, said the representative has been a staunch opponent of tolling I-80 because increased traffic on secondary roads would add more wear and tear to roads already in bad shape, costing the state more to repair them.
Dominque Simon (junior-communication sciences and disorders) rolled her eyes at the mention of tolling I-80, which she regularly uses to travel to Penn State from New York.
"I already have to pay a lot of tolls," she said, estimating she pays about $10 in tolls every trip. "I think that's enough."
Stephen Hayes (sophomore-science) said he understands the money has to come from somewhere -- he just hopes it's not from his pocket.
"I don't want to pay tolls anymore than I have to," he said.
DeFebo said turnpike officials will have their economics team consider the outcomes proposed in the study.
