Published: June 30, 2009 11:41 pm      

Turnpike toll increase to be decided today in Charleston

Opposition has been widespread and often intense, but it seems nothing under the sun can stop the West Virginia Parkways Authority from hiking tolls on the turnpike before summer is halfway over.

In today’s historic meeting by the turnpike’s governing board, the authority is prepared to impose the first lasting increase in fares since 1981 — a 60 percent boost for cars and commercial trucks alike — as a means of raising an extra $20 million in revenues.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Charleston Civic Center.

Just how many people plan to attend the morning session is hard to say, but the authority moved the meeting to the larger facility to accommodate a swell of news media.

Another question couldn’t be answered decisively: Will the general public be given one last shot at trying to sway the authority from increases?

“That’s up to the chairman,” said turnpike Manager Greg Barr, referring to Jim Pitrolo, who represents Gov. Joe Manchin on the authority.

“But there’s always a call to the public portion on the agenda. I can’t imagine that there would be any change in that.”

Board members will vote on a plan to move cars from $1.25 per barrier to $2 and commercial rigs from $4.75 to $6.25, although discounts will be allowed. The idea is to generate enough more cash to meet the bond debt coverage test and provide for repairs on the Princeton-to-Charleston highway.

Senate Minority Leader Don Caruth, R-Mercer, suggested Tuesday he might change his mind and attend the meeting after all, although earlier he was put out by the decision to move it to the Civic Center, charging this was done to minimize opposition from southern West Virginia motorists.

On the eve of the meeting, Caruth said much of the authority’s response to criticism by lawmakers in defense of the toll hike “tended to deflect from the main issue.”

“Things like the fact that we wouldn’t have much of what we have at the Princeton intersection if the turnpike wasn’t there,” he said.

“I certainly agree that’s true. Other things are said similarly about good things that the turnpike has brought. Once again, I agree but it certainly avoids the issue, or defects from the issue, and that his how the Parkways has managed the facility all these years,” Caruth said. “Why has it not used other resources available, or could have been available, and still can be available, and why were they making people from the southern part of the state bear this burden when this is not done anywhere else?”

Caruth said residents in other parts of West Virginia benefit economically from intersections along interstates without being charged a toll to use the roads.

“The point being, the issue is not what benefits the turnpike has brought to West Virginia,” he said. “It’s an interstate and brings all these things which an interstate brings. The point is, why are we required to pay for benefits that our interstate brings when nobody else has to pay for benefits the interstates four-lane highways in their respective districts.”

Caruth insisted that federal stimulus money should have been applied to the turnpike, along with dollars it helped draw down as part of the Interstate system — an average of $10 million annually in recent years.

In spite of fierce vocal opposition at recent public hearings, Barr said no special security will be in force, other than the routine staff normally used by the Civic Center.

“I don’t think we’re going to need that,” he added.

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com