I like I-80. It's scenic and often fast. But I breathe a sign of relief when I cross the Ohio border and I-80 turns back into a literal "free" way. I'm not a big fan of tolls. I figure I'm already supporting the highways every time I top off the tank. Dropping coins in a toll basket makes me feel like I'm getting skinned -- twice!
Apparently there are a lot of you out there who agree with me. OOIDA and the ATA recently sent a letter to the US Department of Transportation asking that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's request to toll I-80 be denied. The letter was signed jointly by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the American Trucking Associations, the American Highway Users Alliance and the National Association of Truck Stop Operators. Trucking organizations argue that PennDOT and the turnpike authority have failed to meet criteria stipulated in the Interstate Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program that would allow Pennsylvania to add tolls to I-80.
I'm not really interested in all the legal mumbo-jumbo. For me the issue is money and time. I don't like being taxed twice and I don't like wasting time inching through periodic toll booth backups. How do you feel? Click the comments below and give Trucker to Trucker your 2 cents.
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