Published: May 06, 2009 10:31 pm      

Parkways prepares for hearings on toll hike

Public can provide input during three meetings

Amid declining revenues and $242 million in stalled paving projects, the West Virginia Turnpike’s governing board is ready to hear what the motoring public has to say about the first enduring toll increase in nearly three decades.

Hearings are planned over a four-day span this month in counties that border the 88-mile toll road, starting May 19 at Riverside High School in Belle.

For the three days following, the West Virginia Parkways Authority will listen to the public’s views May 20 at the Fayette County Courthouse in Fayetteville, a day later at the Beckley-Raleigh Convention Center, and on May 22 at the Mercer County Courthouse in Princeton.

These dates are a change from the ones first announced for the hearings.

Each session follows the same format. The first two hours, beginning at 4 p.m., are devoted to information tables where residents can talk directly to various parkways officials, then provide public comment from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

All ideas advanced by the public will be recorded by the Department of Transportation, then reduced to videos so board members can review them before the pivotal June 25 meeting when a final decision is expected.

Already, the board has decided to seek a 60 percent across-the-board increase in tolls, but turnpike manager Greg Barr suggested Wednesday the decision could be altered, depending on what the public has to say.

“There are still things being tossed around about the exact timing of increase,” Barr said.

“People are still tossing around ideas about the discount program, and whether it could be modified in some way. I guess we just need to hear what everybody has to say and take those thoughts into consideration. The board may glean some things out of the comments they want to do going forward.”

As things stand now, the Princeton-to-Charleston road faces $242 million worth of paving that must be accomplished, Barr said.

State law says the road, laid during the Eisenhower years, can be taken over by the transportation secretary if it is considered in sufficient condition and the tolls abandoned.

“But if we don’t get this paving done, I don’t know any way the state can afford to take it over free of tolls,” Barr said.

Toll revenues continue to fall in a recession. Last month, they dipped by 1 percent overall. Commercial traffic was 17 percent off in April, compared to a 19 percent decline in February.

“We’ve seen commercial traffic really take a hit,” Barr said. “Again, that’s an indication of the recession.”

Revenue was down almost 10 percent in March, and April’s figures were less bleak, since Easter this year came last month.

“There are a lot of moving parts to the toll issue,” Barr said.

“I can’t speak for exactly what the board will finally decide. We’ve got the recommendation of the consulting engineer as to what the needs are. We’ve got the recommendations from the traffic engineers as far as what a workable toll rate change would be and a workable discount program. We’ll just see how it all shakes out.”

Barr expects the most interest in the public hearings to be generated in Princeton, and not exclusively because of concerns by trucking outfits, who convinced a Kanawha County judge to reverse a short-lived fare increase back in 2006.

“I get the feeling it’s just people down there that even travel the road three or four times a year are just tired of paying tolls,” the manager said.

“They just don’t want to pay tolls any more. They’re upset about it. They read in the paper that utility rates are going up, and they’re upset about that. They feel like it’s tough to answer their concerns because they say, ‘We’ve had a toll road over 50 years and we don’t want one any more. Put them on Interstate 64 between Huntington and Charleston. Take them off this road. We’ve paid our share.’”

Barr pointed out the current turnpike management wasn’t around when the highway was built and a toll imposed.

“If they hadn’t put the toll road in, the eventual location of the Interstate may not have been where the turnpike is,” he said.

“It may have followed Route 60 or gone in another direction. If that had happened, Princeton and Bluefield wouldn’t have had the opportunity they’ve had for commerce. We don’t know why that’s happened. We do know our responsibility is to make sure the turnpike is taken care of and maintained and safe. We’ve got to do that.”

Not all board members likely will attend each hearing, but Barr must be there, along with his engineers, bond and legal counsel, and finance director.

“It’s going to be a long four days,” he added.

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com