A press conference was held today by local state House Republicans regarding a plan to toll Route 422.
The press conference was held in the 422 Business Center in Oaks, adjacent to the expressway. Reps. Warren Kampf (R-Chester/Montgomery), David Maloney (R-Berks), Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery) and Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) all spoke out against what Vereb called the "Hoeffel Tolling Plan."
At a presentation Monday, Joseph Hoeffel, a Montgomery County Commissioner and the head of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, helped present the proposal to the Governor's Transportation Funding Commission.
Watch the attached video to see what the state House Republicans from local districts had to say on the tolling issue. The plan would impose a $2.65 one-way toll on the roadway from Douglassville to Route 202.
OK, I get it. You guys serve in the House and have to face the voters every two years. Your press conference outside "The Dump" on Thursday touched on many themes heard from Washington Republicans. Mainly, "No," "No new spending," "No new taxes," and "No solutions." What, exactly, is your solution to the growing parking lot that is Route 422? The stimulus is gone. The federal gas tax has not been increased for decades. Did you call for an increase to the gas tax? Of course not. In addition to budget deficits in Harrisburg, there is clearly a deficit of political courage as well. Instead of vilifying Commissioner Hoeffel, try offering solutions. We need the mass transit line, and we need it now. Tolls are simply a user fee. If you don't like it, stay off the road. Sincerely, -- Michael Hays Spring City Councilman
I think there are several solutions to the congestion issue (although I don't propose to know how to receive the funding. 1) Add a third lane to and from KOP to Limerick If the state could find a way to do it for the "wealthy" along 202 corridor then surely they can find a way to do it on 422. The additional lanes going to and from KOP on 202 had a great impact in relieving some of the congestion. 2) Flexible Business Hours in King of Prussia The problem with rush hour is that there are certain times where 50 companies release their employees at the same time.
Have the state offer incentives or tax breaks to companies in KOP that would participate in the program. If 3 companies changed the daily hours from 8:00 - 4:00 to 7:30 (and assuming 50 employees each) then that is 150 less cars on the road at the 4:00 rush. Ten companies participate, it's 500 less cars. As a daily commuter to KOP I seldom if ever see anyone carpool. 3) Rail Line A rail line already exists that could service the entire 422 corridor. While I do not think it would alleviate traffic as much as 3 lanes, it would be a less expensive solution then the construction (and headaches associated with it) it would take for additional lanes.
I'm sure we'd have plenty of revenue available for projects like this if our Governor would start taxing the natural gas companies that he's allowing to destroy our state in the shale areas. It would be a good start, anyway.
The solution proposed by the author, Jeff Leflar is sensible and do-able. Have a look and see what you think.
The idea of tolling 422 without using the PTC as the administrative arm is somewhat short-sighted -- it's another bureaucratic agency that is being developed and tasked to manage money. Is that the wisest use of funds? We all know the commute sucks but to be honest, there are bridges and roads throughout the region that are failing miserably (just look at the one in our backyard). I'd rather see a gas tax hike or a sales tax hike with those monies earmarked to transportation. This way the state is paying to repair what is a statewide problem. Once those monies are used on repair, then let's address traffic issues throughout the state with the leftover cash. Instead of penalizing regional residents for using a highway that was designed with the intent of siphoning traffic off of Ridge Pike, it's better to tax us for driving anywhere...regardless of route and destination. In the end, tolling 422 likely dumps a percentage of traffic into Ridge Pike, Germantown Pike, and Route 724. Do we need to address the transportation and road issues in this state? Absolutely. It's more than just Route 422.
Guess what, we're reaching peak oil, and if you think tolls are outrageous, wait a few years to see what your gas bill is going to look like. So while you all hollar and moan about paying a couple buck to drive down the road, I think the politicians should take some of those millions and make more bike lanes and widen some roads for those of us who actually want to be part of the solution, rather than the problem.
1) Bike lanes don't work in the snow. We can't all ride bikes. I can't take a shower after a 30 mile commute to the office. 2) I bought my GEO Metro to save money so please don't make me pay tolls. (4 cylinders bad, 3 cylinders better - GEO Orwell). 3) Service vehicles and trucks etc. will pass the toll charges along to their customers. 4) You can't tax your way into prosperity. 5) "It's the economy, stupid." 6) Grow the economy with production (that's production, not construction) and there will be enough money for construction. 7) There's no reason on this green earth why a rail system can't be financially self sustaining. 8) Most people would rather ride a train than stare at tailights especially in this high tech age of mobile communication devices in which term "telecommuting" takes on a whole new meaning. 9) This is a multifaceted problem that needs several solutions (rail, "bypass lanes," regional carpooling supported by parking lots and social networks, etc.) and tolls will create more problems than solutions (most traffic jams on toll roads are at the toll booths). 10) Making broad all-inclusive generalizations about people because you don't like the kind of car they drive is indicative of weak thinking. I want to thank the representatives at the press conference held on Thursday, June 9th, for speaking out against tolling 422.