The mass transit funding package approved earlier this month by the PA State Legislature and signed by Gov. Ed Rendell may be in jeopardy. Appearantly two rural PA Repbulican Congressmen snuck in an amendment to a federal transportation bill that would prohibit federal funds from being used to put tolls on I-80. A column ran in the Daily News today about this. John Baer | SEPTA, Gov. Ed get rear-ended by 'killer amendment'.
Also in the Inquirer, the congressmen feel that tolling I-80 will mean robbing rural Pennsylvanians and truckers of money to fund "Philadelphia's transit system." Gov. Rendell is not happy and plans on reviving his plans to lease the turnpike to a private agency. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette filed this article about an "Angry Rendell's Plans." http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07207/804588-147.stm Rendell wishes the congress people would have warned him about any possible trouble with the I-80 tolls.
According to State Rep Bob Caton of Northern PA, 80% of traffic on I-80 is from out of state and he feels they get away with ruining the road without paying to help its upkeep. Rendell and others feel confident the amendment will be "removed in US Senate Committee." BTW, the two congressmen who put the amendment in the bill voted NAY on the bill! One claims it was "bloated with excess money (snip)."