NMA Pennsylvania Alert: Bill Would Enable Spread of Toll Roads
An important bill enabling Public Private Partnerships (P3s) has been quietly working its way through the Pennsylvania General Assembly. House Bill 3 passed the House in April and is now under consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee.
HB 3 would authorize “public entities to enter into transportation partnership agreements with private entities and other public entities for the development, operation and financing of transportation facilities…” In other words, HB 3 would open the door to new toll roads throughout the commonwealth.
Toll roads are undesirable because they create a government-protected monopoly with little accountability to taxpayers (or drivers). They also divert congestion and accidents to secondary roads where there are fewer resources available to address them. Tolling amounts to double taxation since motorists already pay user fees in the form of fuel taxes, which should be used exclusively for road building and maintenance. (Learn more about toll roads here.)
P3s are an inefficient means to finance, develop and maintain large-scale transportation projects. Projects often cost more, take longer to finish and put taxpayers at higher risk than traditional public works projects. Moreover, lack of transparency and accountability often lead to abuses—again at the expense of taxpayers. (To see how P3s can adversely affect motorists look no further than the Chicago parking meter fiasco from a couple years ago.)
For these reasons, we urge you to oppose HB 3. Contact members of the Senate Transportation Committee as well as your local Senator to let them know what you think.
