HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is scheduling the final public comment periods prior to advancing their plan of imposing a new toll on up to nine candidate bridges without legislative approval, according to Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson).
PennDOT has provided the launch dates for the 30-day online comment periods as follows:
- Lenhartsville, Berks County (Oct. 25)
- South Bridge, Dauphin & Cumberland Counties (Oct. 25)
- Canoe Creek, Clarion County (Nov. 1)
- Susquehanna, Susquehanna County (Nov. 8)
For the Canoe Creek Bridge, which is located in the 25th Senatorial District, an in-person open house has been scheduled for Nov. 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Keystone Elementary School located at 451 Huston Ave., Knox, PA 16232. The Canoe Creek project website (at the bottom of the website) includes an area for the public to submit feedback.
Since these tolling projects will crush our local economies and the state’s Motor License Fund, Sen. Dush urges all Pennsylvanians to voice their concerns regarding the bridge tolling by participating in PennDOT’s public comment period.
Sen. Wayne Langerholc (R-Cambria) has introduced the DRIVE SMART Act, which provides a short-term and long-term plan to overhaul Pennsylvania’s transportation system. The comprehensive plan contains Senate Bill 382, a proposal to reform the P3 statute and terminate PennDOT’s P3 bridge tolling initiative; that legislation has already been approved by the Senate and is currently in the House of Representatives’ Transportation Committee awaiting consideration. The plan also recommends innovative federal financing as a better alternative to improve the interstate bridges.
CONTACT: Zack Ankeny