Smells like your average
October Surprise, doubt anything will come of it. If it goes through, you would only pay tolls within boston, or east of rt 128.
discuss.
Pike board acts to end tolls west of Route 128
Healey takes the spotlight
By Raja Mishra and Mac Daniel, Globe Staff | October 19, 2006
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board moved yesterday to abolish all tolls on the turnpike west of Route 128, a sudden and sweeping policy shift less than three weeks before Election Day that promises considerable financial relief to thousands of commuters.
Under the plan, slated to take effect June 30, taxpayers would assume the burden of running and maintaining the Massachusetts Turnpike from Weston to Springfield, while some commuters would save as much as $5.40 per trip and about 200 toll collectors would be laid off.
The move was orchestrated by Governor Mitt Romney\'s administration. Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey , the Republican nominee for governor, took the lead yesterday in championing the plan while Romney played an uncharacteristic supporting role.
Healey\'s political opponents and some lawmakers decried the timing of the board\'s vote, saying it was designed to give Healey, who is trailing in the polls, a boost among a key bloc of voters.
Healey and Romney defended the measure as delivering a dose of fairness to long-suffering commuters in western suburbs, while pushing out overpaid and inefficient toll collectors. ``There is no rational argument for maintaining this wasteful system," said Healey.
Deval L. Patrick the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said the proposal deserved ``serious consideration" but questioned its timing.
``We should also remember that we\'ve heard hollow promises before from the Romney-Healey administration, and this might be another one for Massachusetts voters that happens to come less than three weeks before Election Day," he said in a statement.
Others said getting rid of the tolls would put more pressure on a statewide transportation system that is severely in debt and unable to fund much basic maintenance or expansion.
``At a time that the transportation system is desperate for more resources, this proposal would be a major step backward," said Michael J. Widmer , president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a budget watchdog group. ``You are sacrificing an important revenue stream."
Widmer is on a special state commission that is preparing a comprehensive evaluation of transportation finances -- and that by coincidence happened to be meeting at the same time as the Turnpike Authority board, one floor above in the State Transportation Building. That panel is considering proposals to reinstate tolls in Western Massachusetts, between the New York line and Springfield, which were eliminated in 1996, and to increase the gas tax. The commission is not expected to make recommendations until after the election.
The Turnpike Authority board said it plans to seek financial and legal advice before taking a final vote Nov. 15, but state officials said passage was all but certain.
Eliminating the tolls -- which does not require legislative approval -- would cost the authority $114 million in annual revenue. Romney administration officials said the loss would be partly offset by saving nearly $40 million by laying off about half of the Turnpike Authority\'s 400 toll collectors.
On some late-night shifts at toll plazas in Western Massachusetts, it costs more to collect the tolls than the amount brought in, officials said.
The cost of running and maintaining the western portion of the turnpike -- all but 15 miles of the heavily traveled 138-mile highway -- would be assumed by the state Highway Department.
The proposal was recommended by Eric Kriss , Romney\'s former finance chief, whom the governor appointed to review Turnpike Authority finances after Romney took control of the agency from Matthew J. Amorello following the fatal ceiling collapse July 10 in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel.
``The cost of manual toll collection has grown unacceptably high," the report concluded, finding that wages and benefits made up 91 percent of the cost of collecting tolls. Kriss also wrote that eliminating tolls would reduce accidents and traffic at tollbooths while reducing global warming by curbing carbon dioxide emissions from idling cars.
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Kerry Healey is desperate! Wow, she really sucks... first of all the state can\'t afford this. I wonder how many people will actually fall for this stunt.
Just one more step on her road to defeat this election cycle.
**** her.. especially for trying to make a scandal out of the personal affairs between Deval Patrick\'s sister and brother-in-law.
Fortunately she has almost no chance to win in 20 days-- unfortunately that means we\'ll probably see even more bullshit on her way out of office.
it\'s funny they did this casue last week they wanted to add more tolls to 291 and 391
I hate the toll for the Mass turnpike. its pointless to me. maybe cause we don\'t have tolls anymore here in CT. Sometimes, I think we should tho. Right on Frontage Road just to make the freaking mess over there on I-95 even worse....when I go home to visit my fam its like a three hour tour.