PA Judge Orders Halt To Gov. Wolf's Bridge Tolling Initiative

HARRISBURG — A state judge has put the brakes on a plan by Gov. Tom Wolf's administration to begin collecting tolls on a handful of bridges across Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler ordered Wednesday a halt to Wolf's plan to toll a number of bridges, including the Girard Point Bridge that runs along Interstate 95 in the City of Philadelphia.

Cumberland County and a handful of municipalities from across the state had filed a lawsuit challenging the bridge tolling plan, saying it is both illegal and unconstitutional.

Wolf was hoping to toll more bridges across the commonwealth as a way to make up for declining gas tax revenue that is not keeping up with the demands of repairing bridges and highways in Pennsylvania, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The AP story says that both Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for governor and his opponent in November's general election, Republican Doug Mastriano, are opposed to the bridge tolling plan.

This week's Commonwealth Court decision drew praise from those opposing the proposed tolling plan.

"I have been challenging PennDOT's overreach since being named Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee in January 2021," State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-35, said in a statement. "The court's ruling on the preliminary injunction is restoring proper checks and balances on PennDOT's power. I now urge Gov. Wolf to work with the legislature and find a compromise that is in the best interests of the Commonwealth."

The tolling plan is part of PennDOT's Major Bridge P3 Tolling Initiative.

Aside from the Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia, the other bridges that are slated for tolling under the plan are located in Berks County, Allegheny County, Clarion County, Luzerne County, Jefferson County, Luzerne County, Carbon County, Susquehanna County and Dauphin County.

Ceisler's ruling this week puts a temporary halt to tolling on each one of those bridges.