A group opposed to a state plan to toll nine bridges to pay for their $2.5 billion in repairs held a news conference on the capital steps in Harrisburg on Wednesday to encourage residents to help them in their quest to put the brakes on the tolling plan.

Several members of the No P3 Bridge Toll Coalition listed the negative impacts they predict will result from tolling the bridges and beseeched residents to sign a statewide petition opposing the tolling.

While none of the nine bridges are in Butler County, the legislators who spoke expect additional bridges to be tolled should the plan move forward.

The legislators touted Senate Bill 382, which would reform the Public-Private Transportation Partnership statute and void PennDOT’s Pathways Program P3 Major Bridge Initiative.

They also recommend using bond funds and federal dollars to repair Pennsylvania’s failing bridges.

The coalition’s main issues with the bridge tolling plan are financial impacts on small businesses, trucking companies and commuters; impacts on local roads and traffic backups from motorists avoiding the tolls; the attempt by Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Department of Transportation to circumvent the rules of the Public-Private Transportation Partnership (P3); motorists already paying a high gas tax being saddled with another fee; and rising prices on goods in an already inflated economy to cover fees incurred by those transporting the goods.

“It is never the answer to expect the good and hardworking people of Pennsylvania to pay another tax, pay another fee or pay another toll,” said state Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-35th, who is chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, called the bridge-tolling plan “an ill-conceived money grab by PennDOT and the Wolf administration.”

He said the process to add tolls on the nine bridges is mired in a lack of transparency, citizen input or oversight.

“This illegal and unconstitutional scheme is a declaration of war against the economy of Pennsylvania,” Hutchinson said.

He said many businesses rely on quick and untolled access to the highways of Pennsylvania, including the businesses along Interstate 80 in his district.

“This tolling scheme will be another impediment to growth,” Hutchinson said.

He and other legislators implored their constituents to sign the petition at nop3bridgetolls.com or contact their state legislators to support the coalition’s efforts.

“Stand up, stand strong, and sign this P3 tolling plan petition,” Hutchinson said.

The tolling initiative suffered a blow in May, when a Commonwealth Court judge issued a preliminary injunction on the plan until a hearing can be held to consider a permanent injunction.

The suit was filed by Cumberland County and several municipalities in Eastern Pennsylvania over tolling the South Bridge on Interstate 83.

According to the PennDOT webpage on the Major Bridge P3 Initiative, the plan would provide funding to repair Pennsylvania’s many bridges, other roadway maintenance, operations and improvements without using current PennDOT funding.

More information on the initiative is available at https://www.penndot.pa.gov/about-us/funding/Pages/Solutions.aspx.