Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell said this week that it might make sense to sell or lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private company. The state is now requesting to hear from any companies interested in operating the turnpike.
The possibility of privatizing the PA Turnpike is part of a national trend, following other states such as Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, and Florida. These states have either sold off, leased, or are considering similar plans for turning state toll roads over to private companies.
The results allow states to raise billions of dollars for transportation improvements.
Rendell estimated the value of the state owned and operated transportation network to be between three and ten billion dollars. For this reason, some state officials believe it would be more beneficial to turn the roadway over to private operators, allowing the state to use the proceeds for transportation system improvements.
Critics of the plan worry that privatizing the Turnpike could potentially harm the interests of travelers. The Governor has said that any deal to sell or lease the turnpike would protect the public from widely accelerating toll increases. Future maintenance of the roadways would also be required in the agreement, Rendell said.
Though the current House Transportation Committee Chairman has been opposed to selling or leasing the Turnpike in the past, Pennsylvania is currently facing a billion dollar shortfall in funds needed for road and bridge repairs. This deficit may force future action.
Any company interested in the possibility of making a deal with Pennsylvania has until Dec. 22 to submit a proposal to Harrisburg.
