November 10, 2009
The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Secretary LaHood:
I am writing to ask you to reject the joint Phase 1 application re-submitted by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to convert Interstate 80 (I-80) to a toll road.
I am certain you are aware of the many policy and economic concerns connected with the possible tolling of the freeway. This letter is not intended to reiterate those problems, but to bring to your attention a different concern.
One of the main reasons the Federal Highway Administration last year rejected the Pennsylvania application to toll I-80 was the failure to document payments to the state were to be at fair market value. In response, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission paid for an “independent financial analysis” by an organization which never before studied highways. In fact the company, Provident Capital Advisors, changed its name from Provident Healthcare Coalition, LLC just a few days before being retained for the Pennsylvania Turnpike study.
It appears, if you were to go to the company’s web site, Provident’s mission is the “operation of state-of-the-art health, education, senior living, and multi-family housing facilities and services across the country,” not evaluating or valuing major highways. The company runs and operates 14 jails/correctional facilities and other types of housing units in a number of states. Their web site does not even mention capital analysis as an area of expertise.
A layman might conclude Turnpike officials or their contractor looked for someone to give them the answers they sought, instead of finding someone qualified to provide an actual study of the value of I-80.
I oppose this application for the above stated reason, but also because I think it is a bad policy to solely toll this particular freeway in order to generate a revenue stream to help meet the mass transit, highway and bridge needs throughout the Commonwealth.
The plan to toll I-80 will create more problems than it will ever solve. The state’s Act 44 was ill-conceived from day one – without any public input or comment – and your rejection of the I-80 application will help start an honest discussion in Pennsylvania about alternatives, such as public private partnerships, or other ideas that will fund needed transportation projects.
Thank you for your time and thorough review in the matter.
Sincerely,
Samuel H. Smith
Republican Leader
House District 66