OHIO TURNPIKE State legislators from Valley decry proposed toll increase
Under the proposal, a car driver would pay $1.30 more to span the entire highway.
CANFIELD -- Two Ohio House members from Mahoning County are questioning why the Ohio Turnpike Commission is moving ahead with a proposed toll increase when the agency turned a $26.5 million profit last year.
Also, state Reps. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-61st, and Kenneth Carano of Austintown, D-59th, said high gas prices makes the proposal even worse.
"For the average person, what worse possible timing can there be" than now? Carano said. "The commission isn't looking out for the welfare of the residents of the state of Ohio."
Boccieri and Carano say state law should be changed to require the commission to seek permission from the Ohio Legislature for any rate adjustments.
The commission today approved a resolution permitting its executive director, Gary Suhadolnik, to conduct three public hearings, probably in August, on the toll rates. The new rates would be in place by Jan. 1, 2007.
Passenger cars, trucks and other similar-sized vehicles would pay an additional half-penny per mile, with large trucks and buses seeing a penny-per-mile increase under the proposal.
All tolls would be rounded to the nearest quarter, and fares on some short trips would be reduced, according to the commission.
Increase would be $1.30
For a passenger car, the cost of driving the full 241-mile turnpike would go from $8.95 to $10.25. For large trucks, the rate would go from $31 to $33.50 for the entire turnpike ride.
But turnpike officials point out that that is less than what truckers paid to travel the highway before 2004.
To increase large truck traffic on the turnpike and dissuade its drivers from using roads not designed for such large vehicles, the commission in 2004 reduced the rate for trucks weighing more than 23,000 pounds. The old rate was $42.45 for the entire turnpike trip.