Why merge the Turnpike with Mass. Highways?
BHI has calculated the
differences in operating cost for the Turnpike and the Massachusetts Highway
Department. These differences, taking into consideration the fact that
Turnpike costs include the cost of toll collecting, are as follows:
• Operating Expenses /miles.........................255% more
• Operating Expenses /lane miles.................125% more
• Operating Expenses /annual vehicle miles....51% more.
And the Turnpike is costly to run, when compared to other Turnpike authorities.
The relevant comparisons for the New York Throughway are 118%, 95% and 57%, respectively. We have found similar comparisons for the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
This means that the Commonwealth could save between $26 million and $57 million annually by merging the Turnpike with the Massachusetts Highway System.
Why? The answer is simple: duplication of staff and an inability to take advantage of economies of scale in providing road maintenance. And run down the list of Turnpike workers: Toll collectors, mechanics, maintenance workers, custodians, couriers, construction inspectors, payroll clerks, tourist advisors, electricians, etc. Turnpike salaries are sometimes 50% more, sometimes a 100% more than their private sector counterparts.
Why merge the two? Between Mass Highways and the Turnpike, the Commonwealth has about 10,000 lane miles of roadway to maintain. So the correct question is why we would want to create a separate authority to service some 5% of those lane miles, with all the duplication of staff and workers that would require. In fact, the only justification for a Turnpike authority and Turnpike tolls is to finance the Big Dig. There is no reason to tie the maintenance of 138 miles of highway to that cash-raising function. By combining the two functions, the Turnpike has offered itself up as a target-rich environment for unions and seekers of government patronage.
Concerning the performance of Mass Highways, there is, finally, no reason to worry that its taking over the Turnpike would lead to a reduction in service. Mass Highways has made great strides in recent years in resurfacing roads and in repairing and replacing bridges. We don't need to a separate bureaucracy to keep Turnpike roads up to par.