Overview

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a major public asset worth billions of dollars, and its day-to-day operation directly impacts the lives of thousands of Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania businesses rely on the Turnpike to deliver goods to their doors, commuters use it to get to work, and students rely on it to get to and from school. The Turnpike’s operation also affects the thousands of home owners who live nearby. This can take the form of the impact noise and car emissions can have on the surrounding environment, changes in the traffic flow on local roads, billboard placement, or a myriad of other ways local communities can be affected.

Gov. Rendell has raised the possibility of leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private entity, and the General Assembly could vote on enabling legislation as early as April. Any proposal to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike should be carefully scrutinized to ensure that Pennsylvania’s long-term public interests are met. It is critically important that any potential plan maximizes the full range of the Turnpike’s public benefits over the life of the lease. Focusing solely on the Commonwealth’s short term cash flow problems could significantly impair Pennsylvanian’s long term financial health, and negatively impact our transportation policy for decades to come. The Turnpike is more than just a source of revenue; it is a vital component of our public infrastructure, and its operation is a keystone of Pennsylvania transportation policy.