Motorists Urged To Protest Toll Hikes
Groups Opposed To Increases That Impact Specific Areas
POSTED: 7:36 am EST December 16,
2008
UPDATED: 7:52 am EST December 16,
2008
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BOSTON -- If you're driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike or passing through a toll booth Tuesday, toll hike protesters want you to leave your transponder at home and bring your change with you.
VideoNewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that they're calling a planned protest "Change for Change," and they scheduled it for Dec. 16, the 235th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, where colonial residents protested a tax on tea by throwing tea cargo from a British ship into Boston Harbor.The group is urging motorists to pay for tunnel and turnpike tolls with change instead of FastLane transponders, and they recommended using the smallest denominations of coin possible.They said the protest will drive home the point that residents are angry about a proposal to raise tolls on the Callahan and Sumner tunnels and on the turnpike in order to pay for Big Dig debts.Many residents who spoke at a public hearing on the toll hikes in Lynn, Mass., on Monday said it was unfair for North Shore residents to bear the brunt of the toll increases."They're going to raise that excessive tunnel or the damn bridge (tolls)? Give me a break!" one woman said at the hearing."Someone takes the Russian Roulette bullet in the head and it's the North Shore that takes the Russian Roulette bullet in the head. It's ridiculous ladies and gentlemen," another speaker said.Among those listening to testimony at the hearing was the governor's transportation Bernard Cohen, who handed in his resignation Monday, saying he was leaving the post of his own accord, effective Jan. 2.Gov. Deval Patrick thanked him for his service, saying Cohen had lain "the groundwork by implementing the first ever Mobility Compact to coordinate our transportation network, identifying tens of millions of dollars in cost-savings across agencies and making critical capital infrastructure investments." Cohen, 62, is a veteran transportation official who previously worked in Philadelphia and New York. Earlier in the day, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray praised Massport board member James Aloisi Jr. when asked about reports of Cohen's possible departure and potential replacements. Aloisi is something of a transportation prodigy, having once worked for Dukakis administration Transportation Secretary Frederick Salvucci, considered the driving force behind the $15 billion Central Artery relocation project. Aloisi later worked for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, whose board the transportation secretary now chairs, as both general and outside counsel. In that capacity, he helped transfer the Big Dig's $2.5 billion debt to the Turnpike, a switch that has been criticized by Patrick, crippled the agency with debt and left the administration considering a near doubling of some Boston-area tolls to help pay off the debt. More broadly, the administration is confronted with $8 billion in debts at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and a projected $20 billion infrastructure tab over the next 20 years.
VideoNewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that they're calling a planned protest "Change for Change," and they scheduled it for Dec. 16, the 235th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, where colonial residents protested a tax on tea by throwing tea cargo from a British ship into Boston Harbor.The group is urging motorists to pay for tunnel and turnpike tolls with change instead of FastLane transponders, and they recommended using the smallest denominations of coin possible.They said the protest will drive home the point that residents are angry about a proposal to raise tolls on the Callahan and Sumner tunnels and on the turnpike in order to pay for Big Dig debts.Many residents who spoke at a public hearing on the toll hikes in Lynn, Mass., on Monday said it was unfair for North Shore residents to bear the brunt of the toll increases."They're going to raise that excessive tunnel or the damn bridge (tolls)? Give me a break!" one woman said at the hearing."Someone takes the Russian Roulette bullet in the head and it's the North Shore that takes the Russian Roulette bullet in the head. It's ridiculous ladies and gentlemen," another speaker said.Among those listening to testimony at the hearing was the governor's transportation Bernard Cohen, who handed in his resignation Monday, saying he was leaving the post of his own accord, effective Jan. 2.Gov. Deval Patrick thanked him for his service, saying Cohen had lain "the groundwork by implementing the first ever Mobility Compact to coordinate our transportation network, identifying tens of millions of dollars in cost-savings across agencies and making critical capital infrastructure investments." Cohen, 62, is a veteran transportation official who previously worked in Philadelphia and New York. Earlier in the day, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray praised Massport board member James Aloisi Jr. when asked about reports of Cohen's possible departure and potential replacements. Aloisi is something of a transportation prodigy, having once worked for Dukakis administration Transportation Secretary Frederick Salvucci, considered the driving force behind the $15 billion Central Artery relocation project. Aloisi later worked for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, whose board the transportation secretary now chairs, as both general and outside counsel. In that capacity, he helped transfer the Big Dig's $2.5 billion debt to the Turnpike, a switch that has been criticized by Patrick, crippled the agency with debt and left the administration considering a near doubling of some Boston-area tolls to help pay off the debt. More broadly, the administration is confronted with $8 billion in debts at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and a projected $20 billion infrastructure tab over the next 20 years.Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
