For Sale: The Pennsylvania Turnpike

The selling of the turnpike, the nations first, could fetch a price tag from anywhere between $2 billion to $30 billion. However, the Governor has made it clear that the lower figure would be unacceptable.

Mass transit agencies in the state have long complained of a lack of dedicated funding from the state. This, combined with a decaying road network, has lead to the formation of the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. The commission concluded that the logical target for raising much needed cash was the turnpike.

How will state legislature react to any type of proposal? "Leasing the turnpike might be anathema to some politicians, yet it may prove more palatable than some of the commission's other proposals, such as a 12.5-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas tax."