PA Turnpike On Road To Financial Ruin, Auditor General Warns

Despite significant toll increases for 11 consecutive years, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is $11.8 billion in debt and on a “road to ruin,” according to the state’s fiscal watchdog.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s latest audit of the turnpike revealed that turnpike commission currently carries more debt than the entire state. He warned of possible insolvency if the commission is not provided some relief from the $450 million it is required to provide annually to PennDOT to help fund public transit agencies.

“The turnpike simply cannot continue to raise tolls to cover the legally mandated payments to PennDOT,” DePasquale said in a statement. “The turnpike commission, once viewed by some as a cash cow, has been milked to the brink of collapse.”

Since the 2007 state law was passed requiring the turnpike to make the PennDOT payments, tolls have risen above the rate of inflation every year as the turnpike’s massive debt continues to mount.

Toll rates are expected to triple in under 30 years, which DePasquale said seems to be leading more drivers to avoid the highway and use alternate routes. Turnpike traffic growth has been stagnant and there have been reductions in projected future traffic.

“Hiking tolls year after year while hoping that E-ZPass users won’t notice is not a sustainable revenue plan and it causes a financial hardship for motorists,” DePasquale said.
The auditor general noted that the Legislature’s 2007 attempt at enacting a quick financial fix by mandating the PennDOT payments has had serious unintended consequences.

“It’s been 12 years and the state still hasn’t come up with a way to adequately fund transportation needs,” he said.

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