LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — State legislators hosted a virtual forum on Friday to discuss concerns about PennDOT's proposals to put tolls on nine interstate bridges throughout the state.
The plan called Pathways Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership OR (P3) Initiative was announced last week.
The tolls would be as much as $2 each way, starting as early as 2023. PennDOT says the money collected would go to repairing these bridges, so those costly repairs wouldn't take money away from other projects.
Leaders in Luzerne County are concerned because two of the nine bridges are in the Greater Hazleton Area on Interstate 80 — one over Nescopeck Creek, the other over the Lehigh River.
"A resident of Luzerne County cannot get on to Route 80, under this proposal, without being tolled," said Luzerne County Manager David Pedri. "Because if he or she goes west, they're tolled. If he or she goes east, they will be tolled within a 22-mile distance."
Jessica Wolfe attended the forum. Her husband has a trucking company in Drums, right between the two proposed toll bridges. He travels between New Jersey and State College. She says this toll would hurt smaller business like his that don't have the ability to pass this cost onto their clients
"Might put us back in a position where they're going to put us out for bid again and take a contract from somebody else or, you know, other clients are going to, larger competitors, are going to be able to absorb this cost easier," Wolfe explained.
For the same reasons, this has leaders concerned about the local economy.
"The reason why these jobs are coming here is because they can get on a truck and get to the three-quarters of the population of the United States of America in eight hours, and we have the workers, and we have the people who do it here. What do these tolls mean for Luzerne County moving forward? Does that stop our economic growth?" asked Pedri.
Pedri also points out that, based on PennDOT estimates, the tolls on the Nescopeck Creek Bridge alone would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars more than what is needed to repair and maintain the bridge.
"We need to have some sort of system where, where's our money going? Because the casinos were going to solve the problem and it hasn't. We have the highest gas tax, so at what point do we get to see the relief from all of these additional taxes?" echoed Wolfe.
PennDOT says these tolls are just a proposal right now. Nothing is set in stone, and these bridges were chosen on replacement/rehabilitation need and cost to replace. Legislators have started a petition to "stop the tolls" you can find it here.