A year after turnpike tolls were increased much to the displeasure of folks in southern West Virginia, the toll hike debate is once again flaring up in Charleston.
Senate Majority Leader H. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, was successful earlier this week in amending a Parkways Authority reorganization bill that would have cut the cost per toll booth barrier in half for motorists living in the four counties that touch the 88-mile turnpike — Mercer, Raleigh, Fayette or Kanawha. The measure passed the Senate Finance Committee on a 9-7 vote.
However, Parkways Authority General Manager Greg Barr argued the amendment was unconstitutional, and legal counsel for the Parkways Authority agreed. Faced with a veto threat by Gov. Joe Manchin, Chafin agreed to amend the legislation again — this time with wording that requires an annual informational meeting of the Parkways Authority in each of the four counties.
The amended legislation also requires the Parkways Authority to distribute a thousand E-ZPass transponders free of charge to the public at each of the four annual meetings. That essentially means if 250 people attend the informational meeting in Mercer County, all 250 will receive a free E-ZPass transponder. The remaining 750 transponders will be distributed to those who attend the meetings in Raleigh, Fayette and Kanawha counties, according to the proposal.
With the electronic transponder system, motorists would only pay $1.30 per toll booth barrier as opposed to $2 per toll booth barrier.
Chafin said the amended legislation passed without any “no” votes, and without a veto threat from the governor.
The authority also will be required to distribute educational material and other information concerning the discount program for purchasers of the E-ZPass system at the four still-to-be scheduled informational sessions.
So as it stands now, folks who attend these informational meetings will be able to receive an EZ Pass transponder, and significantly reduce the cost per toll booth barrier. That’s a welcomed concession from the Parkways Authority.
If anything, the latest debate over the turnpike tolls should serve as a reminder to the Parkways Authority, and to lawmakers in Charleston, that folks in the deep south counties still aren’t happy with having to pay $12 for a round trip to Charleston and back.
Hopefully, a few more folks can now cut that cost in half with complimentary E-ZPass transponders.
Editorials
March 6, 2010
Turnpike tolls: Debate flares up again in Charleston
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