CAPITOL HILL REPORT
ATA Supports the Consumer Protection Act to Curb Abusive Toll Hikes
R
ecently, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves thanked Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) after the legislators introduced a bill aimed at preventing unreasonable toll increases. "We applaud Rep. Grimm and Sen. Lautenberg for introducing this vital piece of legislation," Graves said. "Having seen the toll increase proposed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, they are acutely aware of the negative impact of allowing toll agencies unchecked power to raise tolls for whatever reason they want." Earlier this year, over the objec- tions of ATA and other groups, the Port Authority rammed through an
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exorbitant package of toll hikes in order to balance its own budget and pay for a number of non-transporta- tion costs.
"There are a number of reasons why tolling is bad public policy, but that policy gets worse when the tolls are raised without consideration for the users of highways and bridges and the revenue generated is not stolen for other projects," Graves said. "It is our hope that when this bill becomes law, the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation will put a stop to increases like the one being pushed through in New York City." The Grimm-Lautenberg legislation would once again let DOT deter- mine if toll increases are "just and reasonable," a power the agency
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