Federal Highway Administration Declines Pennsylvania Request to Toll I-80

Topics:  Interstate Highway System

Federal Highway Administration
6 April 2010

FHWA 06-10
Contact: FHWA Public Affairs
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Phone: 202-366-0660

WASHINGTON, DC - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced that it had declined to approve an application to place tolls on the Interstate 80 because the application did not meet the federal requirement that toll revenues be used exclusively for the facility being tolled.

"I care about the transportation needs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and since I became Secretary of Transportation, I've traveled there 10 times. In addition, we have provided $1.4 billion in Recovery Act funds to Pennsylvania over the last year to jump start the economy and put people back to work," said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

"We based today's decision on what is allowable under federal law," Secretary LaHood added.

The Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program requires that revenue from tolls be used only to improve the tolled facility, in this case I-80, and not be directed toward other state funding needs or transportation projects elsewhere in the state, as is the case in the Pennsylvania application.

Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the nation for receiving the most Recovery Act dollars compared to other states. In addition, it is expected to receive nearly $121 million in TIGER grant funds for two significant transportation projects and a large portion of the $1.2 billion provided for the Northeast Corridor under the High Speed Rail program.