今天在 Daily Collegian 上看到的新聞，覺得很有意思，沒想到聯邦政府也可以否決這種感覺像是地方的事務。
Tolls on I-80 denied
Concerns about the tolling of Interstate 80 were put to rest Thursday when the Federal Highway Administration denied an application to toll the road issued by state agencies.
The Federal Highway Administration announced in a press release the intended use of tolling funds did not meet government requirements and the application by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was not approved.
Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., said the state government will need to find another way to pay for its highways. He said the decision, which he received Thursday afternoon, is "a win for Pennsylvania."
Peterson said tolling on I-80 would have led to "very enormous rates" at tollbooths and curbed growth within Pennsylvania.
He said no state provides mass transit the kind of funding Pennsylvania does and the legislature needs to get its "fiscal house in order."
Patrick Creighton, Peterson's spokesman, said that 15 months ago the state legislature passed Act 44, a transportation funding bill. He said Act 44 would have increased tolling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and tolled I-80. Because I-80 is a federal highway, the state needed permission from the federal government to do so.
The application denied by the federal government was the state's second attempt at applying for I-80 tolling. The agencies' first application was returned by the highway administration in December 2007 seeking additional information.
The additional information was supplied to the highway administration in July, resulting in a denial announced Thursday.
Creighton said Peterson's district encompasses about half of I-80 and Peterson "fought tooth and nail" against the tolling.
"The game's over," Creighton said. "The tolling of I-80 will not happen."
The failure of Act 44 may now shift focus to the leasing of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which was awarded this summer to a Spanish-American consortium known as Pennsylvania Transportation Partners.
Gov. Ed Rendell is a proponent of the lease, but so far it has not been an easy sell among state legislators.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, who voted against I-80 tolling, said he was not surprised by the decision and state funds will have to be re-prioritized.
"They better get pretty creative in their budgeting," he said.
Benninghoff said good infrastructure is necessary to attract jobs in the state and transportation money should be mandated for bridges, highways and infrastructure needs.
Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, said it is up to the legislature to find another way to fund the infrastructure and ideas should not be discounted.
Corman said he voted against the tolling of I-80 and if the tolling had gone into effect, it would have had a dramatic economic impact. He said it would be more difficult to locate companies in the local area.
Tor Michaels, chief of staff for Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, said hopefully discussions can begin to find the best solution for needed projects like bridge repair and mass transit.
"Representative Conklin voted against tolling Interstate 80 and this is welcome news," Michaels said.
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