To cure the woes facing Pennsylvania's crumbling roads and bridges, Governor Rendell is putting the Pennsylvania Turnpike up for sale or rent.
The selling of the turnpike, the nations first, could fetch a price tag from anywhere between $2 billion to $30 billion. However, the Governor has made it clear that the lower figure would be unacceptable.
Mass transit agencies in the state have long complained of a lack of dedicated funding from the state. This, combined with a decaying road network, has lead to the formation of the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. The commission concluded that the logical target for raising much needed cash was the turnpike.
How will state legislature react to any type of proposal? "Leasing the turnpike might be anathema to some politicians, yet it may prove more palatable than some of the commission's other proposals, such as a 12.5-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas tax."
FULL STORY: Pa. Turnpike for sale or rent
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Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research