There is no public or political support for tolling Route 422 in Southeastern Pennsylvania, so why do a handful of Big Government Democrats keep beating a dead horse?

422 tolling plan doomed, so why keep pushing? - pottsmerc.com

Pennsylvania State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th Dist., has some concerns about a proposal to toll Route 422 in SE Pennsylvania:

From an op-ed published in The Pottstown Mercury:

Pennsylvanians have a right to an honest, open debate on the issue. Unfortunately, such honesty and openness is questioned when the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission refuses to share information and then gives two conflicting answers as to why. Whether one is for or against the tolling proposal — and I am opposed to it — access to information is crucial to any public-policy debate.

Why all the secrecy on Route 422 toll plan? - pottsmerc.com

If tolling Route 422 is such a great plan, why are the bureaucrats behind it refusing to release information about how they came to the conclusion to recommend tolls?

Critics say 422 toll plan shuts out public - pottsmerc.com

An excellent letter to the editor published in The Mercury about the many flaws of the Route 422 tolling plan. Making the busy highway a toll route would reduce little of the congestion, create a huge financial burden on commuters and create a government bureaucracy that will waste money. And all the talk about a commuter rail service is just a red herring. Tolling Route 422 would not make a passenger rail system any more likely. The plan is just another way to fleece taxpayers.

Route 422 toll plan is another tax - pottsmerc.com

Five Republican members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives whose districts border Route 422 say they will oppose any efforts to turn the highway into a toll road between Pottstown and King of Prussia.

The lawmakers said the tolling plan introduced by Democrat Joe Hoeffel will do little to ease traffic congestion on Route 422 but will force more traffic onto local roads.

Area lawmakers oppose Route 422 tolling (video) - pottsmerc.com

While the tolling proposal covers Route 422 from the Pottstown area to King of Prussia, Republican State Rep. David Maloney, whose 130th House District includes Route 422 in Berks County, is also opposed to the tolls.

PA State Rep. David Maloney - Local Legislators Speak Out Against 422 Tolling Plan

Five state representatives from legislative districts along Route 422 in Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties held a press conference Thursday afternoon along the busy highway to announce their opposition to a proposal to toll the four-lane highway. The lawmakers said the tolls would force traffic onto local roads and there is no guarantee that passenger rail service would ever be built to ease congestion on Route 422. The Republican lawmakers expressing opposition to the plan being pushed by Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, include Reps. Tom Quigley, Mike Vereb, Warren Kampf, Marcy Toepel and David Maloney.

The man who will have a lot to say about whether Route 422 in Southeastern Pennsylvania ever becomes a toll road says any talk of tolling the highway is "premature."

Sen. John Rafferty Jr. (R-Montgomery), chairman of the powerful State Senate Transportation Committee, released the following statement Thursday regarding recent news accounts that Route 422 was being considered as a future toll road:

"There is no legislation pending in either the House or the Senate calling for the tolling of any specific roadways in Pennsylvania. And any thoughts or considerations of implementing tolling on any specific roads in the state to generate transportation funding are wholly premature. As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I have no plans to move anything adding tolling to Route 422 or any state roadway. In fact, we are currently in a holding pattern until the Governor's Transportation Funding Advisory Committee (TFAC) makes it recommendations later this summer. Even after that report is delivered, the Committee's recommendations are just suggested courses of action, not proposals that would necessarily become law."

Rafferty's 44th State Senate District includes many of the communities along the Route 422 corridor in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties and it's unlikely any plan to toll Route 422 will gain traction without his support.

Four Southeastern Pennsylvania state legislators will hold a press conference Thursday to discuss the proposed tolling of Route 422.

The feasibility study by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission supports a plan to toll the roadway between Pottstown and King of Prussia despite widespread opposition from area residents and lawmakers.

Four members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Montgomery and Chester counties will weigh in on the report's findings during a 2 p.m. press conference at the 422 Business Center in Oaks.

Participating in the event are Reps. Warren Kampf (R-Chester/Montgomery), Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery), Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) and Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery).

All four have expressed reservations in the past about tolling Route 422. (Rep. David Maloney, a Republican who represents parts of Berks County, is also opposed to the tolling plan but is not able to attend the press conference.)

For more about the tolling plan, check out this recent article in The Mercury.

A new website opposing the tolling of Route 422 has launched at http://www.stop422tolls.com/

The site is also critical of Democratic state Rep. Paul Drucker, who is the only Pennsylvania lawmaker so far to advocate tolling one of the busiest highways in the state.

Drucker is a freshman House member who represents the 157th District. Route 422 travels through some of the communities in the district.

The website includes an online petition asking visitors to oppose the tolling of Route 422.

From the home page:

Maybe State Rep. Paul Drucker believes we don't already pay enough taxes. Maybe State Rep. Paul Drucker believes traffic on Route 422 isn't bad enough already, and could use a few toll booths to slow things down a bit more. Maybe State Rep. Paul Drucker believes people who use Route 422 won’t mind paying for the privilege of driving on that road.