The Commonwealth Court’s ruling in the South Fayette Township lawsuit nullifying PennDOT’s P3 Major Bridge Tolling Initiative is being applauded by the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition.
In its ruling on Thursday, the majority of the court concluded that Sec. Gramian, the P3 Board, and PennDOT had exceeded their legal powers under Act 88 of 2012 and disregarded its conditions when authorizing the initiative.
For the second time, this court has determined that the bridge tolling system is fatally flawed.
Former Clarion mayor John Stroup stated that the arguments made to PennDOT by the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition, the legislature, and the affected municipalities since the tolling plans were publicized have been supported by the Commonwealth Court.
“I would want to express my appreciation for the leadership demonstrated by the representatives of South Fayette Township, Bridgeville Borough, Collier Township, and the other organizations involved in this and the 1-83 bridge issue. These difficulties are neither cheap nor simple, but your efforts are succeeding.
The Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry’s Executive Director, Tracy Becker, stated:
“The business community in Clarion County is happy to see the Commonwealth Court nullify the P3 Bridge Tolling proposal. This project would have been detrimental to the growth of the economy in Northwestern Pennsylvania and a drain on our local economy.
“Berks County businesses and the rural communities surrounding the Lenhartsville Bridge project much appreciate this strong decision from the Commonwealth Court,” said Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Director of Government & Community Relations for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.
We all hope that the Wolf Administration and PennDOT won’t challenge this judgment. Instead, we anticipate that they will re-engage with all relevant parties to identify equitable, long-term funding solutions for our infrastructure requirements.
“The communities and companies in northeastern Pennsylvania are saved by this decision.
The Greater Hazelton Chamber of Commerce President Mary Malone continued, “Our region had the highest concentration of proposed toll bridges, forcing our citizens to pay a disproportionate amount of the tolls.
“Our free interstate system was specially created to speed up business and relieve traffic-related stress in our downtowns. The Commonwealth Court is to be commended for maintaining that legacy.
The P3 Bridge Tolling Initiative should now be put to bed permanently, according to the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition.
The group is eager to work with PennDOT and the P3 Board to evaluate the 17 additional funding options that PennDOT’s Transportation Revenue Options Commission highlighted to keep Pennsylvania’s infrastructure in good shape.
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Regarding the coalition against P3 bridge tolls:
A coalition called No P3 Bridge Tolls is made up of concerned local chambers of commerce, groups that promote economic growth, state-wide business associations, businesspeople, and impacted local government officials.
We oppose the tolling of these nine bridges due to the effects it will have on the regional and state economies, as well as to prevent PennDOT from adopting this version of the P3 process in the future and harming further communities.
