Pennsylvania’s third application to ask federal permission to toll Interstate 80 was, as it has before, met with opposition and follows recent study findings that did not support tolling.

On Oct. 29, the state transportation department and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission made a formal response to a Federal Highway Administration memorandum issued last fall about the application to convert I-80 to a toll road, providing more financial details.

In 2007, the state legislature approved a measure meant to establish long-term funding for transportation. Among other things, it tasked the commission with providing annual lease payments to PennDOT in exchange for operating I-80 as a toll road. 

The Coalition to Keep I-80 Toll-free, which includes chambers of commerce and business groups in the I-80 region, released a study three weeks ago on the proposal by Tracy Miller, Grove City College associate professor of economics.

Using highway taxes data and vehicle miles traveled on I-80, Miller said users already pay more than the amount that PennDOT spends annually to maintain the freeway. Also, tolls will negatively affect many firms and workers living in the corridor and truckers will use less suitable roads to avoid the tolls.

A Turnpike spokesman did not return a request for comment on the study.