Letters: Taking Exception

The editorial describing the Turnpike Commission's plan for tolling Interstate 80 as a "reasonable accommodation for local drivers" could not be more mistaken ("The most direct route," Aug. 11). You fail to recognize the enormous consequences inherent in the tolling proposal.

Tolling I-80 will severely hurt the economy of communities along the corridor. When our economy suffers, the entire state feels the pain.

Local citizens fear that the tolling burden (estimated at $1 million a year and up for many of our largest employers) will cripple their ability to remain competitive. There is little doubt that jobs will be lost. Goods and services delivered via I-80 will cost more, not just along the corridor, but statewide.

I-80 has been the single most important development tool for communities upstate. Without it, we will see a dramatic decline in the growth of new business. The decline will trigger a diminished tax base.

Your assessment, that "the Turnpike Commission's plan for tolls spaced far apart is a sensible solution for the state's needs," reflects a very limited understanding of the complexity of the tolling issue, and the many interrelated consequences we will all face if this plan is allowed to proceed.

We encourage you to come to our area and speak to people. I am confident that few would say there is anything at all "reasonable" or "sensible" in the Turnpike Commission's scheme.

Ed Edwards

President

Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce

Bloomsburg

Vince Matteo

President/CEO

Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce