Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO: 'To insinuate tolls were affected by corruption is absurd'

The Pennsylvania Turnpike was America’s first superhighway when it opened on Oct. 1, 1940, literally blazing the trail for toll roads that followed. Nearly 20 years after it opened, the engineering-design concepts pioneered in Pennsylvania were used in the development of America's Interstate Highway System — the world's largest public works project in history. Today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike employs 1,300 people unified through one mission: To operate a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce.

Our organization is a critical driver of safety, mobility and economic development for Pennsylvania and remains a pioneer among peer agencies as one of the first major toll-road systems in the U.S. to convert to All-Electronic Tolling.

Unfortunately, a recent column misled readers about the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and we’d like to set the record straight.

While tolls, taxes and government-imposed fees are rarely popular, they remain necessary for the advancement of agreed upon societal needs. Often, taxes and fees are unavoidable and frequently have no relation to the services rendered; however, tolls offer a choice of use or avoidance. For many, the cost of a toll is justified by the time savings users realize with a shorter, safe, less congested or faster route. Even drivers who prefer roads funded by fuel taxes benefit from toll roads, which reduce congestion and boost safety on neighboring tax-funded motorways.

The writer cited toll rates for passenger vehicles traveling from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Fact is that most drivers pay $33 one way ($66 round trip) for the journey — which is 269 miles (538 miles round trip). That’s because more than 85% of Pennsylvania Turnpike travelers (including many out-of-state customers) pay via E-ZPass — PA’s version of PIKEPASS — and save up to 60%. Even without E-ZPass, the trip between the two metro areas is $67.40 one way ($134.80 round trip) — still much less than the columnist’s rate. (The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s online toll calculator provides precise toll rates.)

The writer also stated that Pennsylvania Turnpike “has the highest toll charges per-mile” in the U.S. However, per-mile rates on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are near the middle of the pack compared to U.S. toll agencies. A visit to the turnpike website shows that rates for both passenger and commercial vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are far from the highest, see charts on page 319 and 320 of this official statement.

The writer suggested that the Pennsylvania Turnpike is confronting a looming financial crisis. The real story is that the Turnpike Commission — under a state law passed in 2007 — has been obliged to provide supplemental transportation funding of $450 million annually to the Pennsylvania Transportation Department to support off-Turnpike transit and highway investment. In other words, the Pennsylvania Turnpike not only covers the cost operating 554 miles of toll-funded roadways with no gas taxes, but also helps the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and residents pay for underfunded forms of transportation. The plan spelled out in the law calls for the Pennsylvania Turnpike to fund payments by borrowing (bond issuance) and managing debt — something the commission has done successfully. In fact, bond ratings continue to be favorable with more investors interested in purchasing Turnpike bonds than are available for sale.

To insinuate tolls were affected by corruption is absurd. Wrongdoing that came to light more than a decade ago during an investigation of a handful of former employees stemmed from actions taken long before enactment of the law compelling the Turnpike to assume debt to fund transportation statewide. The incident was unrelated to toll rates or bond debt. Those involved were punished and measures successfully instituted to ensure such actions aren’t repeated.

As a public entity with a focus on transparency, we welcome scrutiny. We encourage researchers and writers everywhere to go to www.paturnpike.com for a variety of reports and documents and to contact us directly to validate the accuracy of information.

Mark Compton is chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: CEO says claims about Pennsylvania Turnpike were misleading