Pike Board keeps toll hike to a minimum

Pike Board keeps toll hike to a minimum

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BOSTON -
Forgoing several plans that would have more dramatically increased tolls to help fund transportation needs, the Turnpike Authority Board voted yesterday to stick to the 25-cent and 50-cent increases suggested in 1999.

Following Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen's lead, the other four board members agreed to raise no more than the approximately $25 million needed to pay the authority's scheduled debt increase.

Cohen stressed that tolls, reserve fund borrowing, and the authority's belt-tightening are temporary fixes, ominously warning that the board would be hitting tollpayers up again if the state fails to reform the entire transportation system.

"Everybody knows that we are looking at a $16 billion to $19 billion shortfall in terms of infrastructure here in Massachusetts," Cohen said. "Every state is grappling with this in their own way, but without additional resources we will continue to see our infrastructure start to slide."

The board will hold four public hearings in Framingham, Newton, Worcester and East Boston before voting on a final plan later this month. Toll increases will take effect in January.

Board member Mary Connaughton, a Romney appointee from Framingham, pushed the board to promise that it would consider increasing tolls $1.25 in the Boston tunnels and not increase tolls on the Turnpike's Boston extension, instead of the approved 50-cent and 25-cent increases, respectively.

"I'm very heartened by the fact that the administration is taking these steps to take away this burden that has been unduly placed on tollpayers," said Connaughton, who estimates that under the current plan, a Framingham commuter's annual toll expenses to Boston will increase from around $800 to more than $1,000.

Inequity was the biggest buzzword for both Connaughton and local lawmakers who say MetroWest commuters are unfairly paying for Big Dig debt while commuters from the North and South shores reap the benefits.

"Hopefully they will really hear us, strong, vocal and as loud as we are," state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, said of how seriously the board will weigh public opinion after the hearings.

Spilka and fellow MetroWest lawmakers who attended the meeting were relieved to hear the board temper minimal toll hikes with talk of reforms.

"While no toll increase is a good increase, we dodged a bullet today in MetroWest," state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said after the hearing. "We saved the FastLane Discount Program and we averted a much larger toll increase that clearly could have been coming down the road. ... Everyone is on the same page saying we can't stick it to the MetroWest commuters anymore."

Proposed reforms include a potential merger of the Turnpike Authority with MassHighway, as well as cutting the authority's budget needs by $4 million with a hiring freeze and increased advertising at toll booths among other savings.

"With all due respect to my Republican colleagues, the previous administration had no intention of looking at the expense side of things," Linsky said, praising Gov. Deval Patrick's efforts to begin solving the state's transportation problems.

"And with all due respect to my Democratic colleagues, the Legislature had no interest in a merger (of the Turnpike Authority and MassHighway) until this governor supported it," state Rep. Paul Loscocco, R-Holliston, chimed in. "Speaking as a Republican, I am pleased with the governor's efforts."

Cohen stopped short of calling the threat of more tolls an ultimatum for legislative action, but Linsky, Loscocco, and Spilka agreed that a sense of urgency will prompt the Legislature and the governor to move more quickly than they have on issues like gambling.

State Reps. Tom Sannicandro, D-Ashland; Thomas Conroy, D-Wayland; and Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley; were also present.

The Framingham hearing is scheduled for Oct. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Nevins Hall, but several lawmakers asked transportation aides to move the Friday night hearing to earlier in the week.

The Newton hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9 at the Veterans War Memorial Auditorium from 6 to 8 p.m.