NO P3 Bridge Tolls – Reaction to South Fayette Township Court Ruling – Press Release
July 1, 2022
Clarion, PA – The No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition is praising the Commonwealth Court’s decision in the South Fayette
Township case that voids the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) P3 Major Bridge Tolling Initiative. Yesterday’s decision from the majority of the court found that PennDOT, the P3 Board and Sec. Gramian exceeded their statutory authority under Act 88 of 2012 and failed to comply with its requirements when approving the initiative. This is the second time this court has found fatal flaws with the bridge tolling scheme.
“The Commonwealth Court has reinforced the arguments the members of the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition, the Legislature, and affected communities have been making to PennDOT since the tolling efforts were announced,” said John Stroup, former Mayor of Clarion. “Thank you for the leadership of officials in South Fayette Township, Bridgeville Borough, Collier Township, and the other entities who joined in this and the 1-83 bridge case. These challenges are neither cheap nor easy, but your efforts are winning the day.”
Tracy Becker, Executive Director of the Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry said, “The business community in Clarion County is thrilled to see the Commonwealth Court void the P3 Bridge Tolling plan. This initiative would have been a drain on our local economy and have negative effects on economic development across northwestern PA.”
Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Director of Government & Community Relations for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance said, “Berks County businesses and the rural communities surrounding the Lenhartsville Bridge project greatly appreciate this strong decision from the Commonwealth Court. We all hope the Wolf Administration and PennDOT will not appeal this decision. Instead, we hope they will reengage with stakeholders to find long-term, sustainable, and equitable funding solutions for our infrastructure needs.”
Mary Malone, President, Greater Hazelton Chamber of Commerce said, “This ruling is a lifesaver to the businesses and communities in northeastern Pennsylvania. Our region had the highest concentration of proposed toll bridges, forcing our residents to pay a disproportionate amount of the tolls. Our free interstate system was specifically designed to expedited commerce and remove traffic stress from our downtowns. Thank you to the Commonwealth Court for preserving that legacy.”
The No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition is hopeful this decision will put the P3 Bridge Tolling Initiative to rest once and for all. We look forward to engaging with PennDOT and the P3 Board to vet the 17 other funding alternatives identified by PennDOT’s Transportation Revenue Options Commission to ensure that Pennsylvania’s infrastructure remains strong and we can continue our important role as the Keystone State.
##
ABOUT THE NO P3 BRIDGE TOLLS COALITION: The No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition is a group of concerned local chambers, economic development entities, statewide business organizations, business leaders, affected community leaders, and citizens. We stand opposed to the tolling of these nine bridges because of the effect it will have on our local and statewide economy and to stop PennDOT from using this version of the P3 process from negatively impacting more communities in the future.