PMTA Statement on May 18 Bridge Tolling Decision

The following statement can be attributed to PMTA President & CEO Rebecca Oyler.

PMTA and its trucking industry members were very pleased to read Judge Ellen Ceisler’s opinion today granting a preliminary injunction in the case Cumberland County and several municipalities filed challenging PennDOT’s Major Bridge P3 Initiative. We are especially grateful that Judge Ceisler recognized the necessity to put a halt to all nine bridge tolling projects across the state because it is clear from her opinion that PennDOT violated the P3 law from the beginning.

From the day the initiative was announced in November 2020, PMTA has pointed out that the agency failed to follow basic steps not only required by law, but also expected of any government action – communicate before acting.

Had they communicated with the Pennsylvania trucking industry, they would have heard that the consequences of tolling would be catastrophic. With diesel prices already at record levels, now is the worst possible time to add $5000+ per truck per year for trucking companies and other small businesses. These are costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers.

PMTA filed an amicus brief on the lawsuit in a similar case challenging the I-79 bridge tolling project, for which a hearing was held today in Pittsburgh. The same arguments apply to both cases, and we hope that the court ultimately finds them decisive enough to make the injunction permanent.

And although we are pleased to know that no additional motor license funds, 40% of which come from trucks, will be spent on this clear agency overreach, we wonder how many bridges could have been built with the money PennDOT has already spent on the Major Bridge P3 Initiative.