Published: May 20, 2008 10:27 pm         

Turnpike commuters sense toll hike coming

CHARLESTON — Frequent fliers sense a toll hike is coming to the West Virginia Turnpike.

To many faithful commuters, their only questions are, when and how much?

A legislative audit Tuesday painted a grim picture of finances, noting revenues grew a mere 0.8 percent in recent years, meaning an annual $27 million worth of capital improvements are collecting dust in the blueprints.

No one spoke of higher tolls when the report was unveiled to members of the Joint Standing Committee on Government Organization.

But research is in progress and a report is to be provided some time this year, according to John Sylvia, representing the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the legislative auditor’s office.

“We’ve already started,” Sylvia said after outlining his 106-page, exhaustive report that generally accorded the West Virginia Parkways Authority a favorable finding.

“We’re going to look at the tolls section and tourist information.”

Sylvia wasn’t certain as to when that report will be given lawmakers, but added, “We hope to have something by this year.”

Sylvia didn’t elaborate on what he expects to uncover or tell lawmakers about ways to generate revenues.

“You can increase revenues by lowering costs,” he added.

Last year, an independent consultant, Public Resources Advisory Group, concluded the authority needed to raise tolls by 40 percent this year and by a like amount in 2013. Otherwise, the turnpike’s governing board would have to shelve major capital improvements.

Manager Greg Barr said the authority would pay close attention to all recommendations.

“We’re going to look at all these things,” he said. “We feel we’ve made a lot of headway in running a more productive operation.”

Barr agreed to a suggestion by a committee co-chair, Delegate Jim Morgan, D-Cabell, to report back to the panel in four to five months.

As for tolls, Barr reminded a reporter that by legislative mandate any proposed increase “is going to be very transparent.”

“There’s going to be a lot of dialogue with the public, the Legislature, with the governor’s office,” he said.

“If it ever comes to the point that we have to go down that road, the Legislature has already required public meetings. When that time comes, if it comes, we’ll deal with it.”

There has been no lasting toll increase since 1981, although an attempt to hike the fares two years ago was short-lived after truckers succeeded with a lawsuit to have it reversed.

Barr said highways across America are struggling to maintain roads with diminishing monies.

“We’ve cut a lot of costs,” he said. “We cut a lot of programs that were sensed to be too generous. We’re basically squeezing every drop we can out of every dollar to maintain the road and make it safe and abide by the resolution that we passed back in April of last year and focus all of our energies on maintenance and upkeep of the turnpike.”