As many of you know, I work for stopthepikehike.org, and we are trying to close the tolls in Massachusetts. Thus far I have kept my political actions off of my blog, but I believe it’s about time to adress things publicly, present our arguements, and see what you have to say. I have taken these parts from a letter I recently sent to an East Boston liason for a Mayoral Candidate.
36 states have toll roads, and of all of them, Massachusetts ranks last in efficiency. We are a non-partisan citizens group that has been fighting the impending toll increases since November 14, 2008, when the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) voted to increase tolls by as much as 100%. We have since witnessed countless instances when the MTA breached the public’s trust. Some of the most serious of these are:
* Increased tolls in January of 2008 as a temporary fix
* Were caught overcharging on fast lane transactions
* Used toll revenue to pay off the “big dig”
* Called for re-instatement of tolls from exits 1-6
* Instituted a fee for those who already bought “Fast Lane”
* Created 7 miles of traffic during “Easter-gate”
* Distributed tickets with an unapproved toll increase
* Increased the number of speeding tickets issued
We see these as the largest infractions and instances of mismanagement and maliciousness on the part of the MTA. Institutionally, we take issue with a number of different practices within the MTA. For example, $20 million is spent annually on maintenance of the Turnpike, while $23 million is spent on “fringe benefits.” The average toll taker makes $74,000 a year, not including benefits and health insurance. The turnpike takes in about $40 million from advertisement and concession sales, which is enough to cover the cost of maintenance. Furthermore, of the 36 states with toll roads, Massachusetts is the least efficient, costing 79 cents to collect every dollar, the average being 44 cents.
Mary Connaughton put it best when she said “So long as there are tolls, there will be toll hikes.” This is the essence of our argument to eliminate tolls in Massachusetts. We see that these tolls are hurting local businesses and commuters using unfair practices.
It’s time to make a chance. It’s time to close the tolls.
Keep on reading.
