Turnpike Authority To Delay Toll Hike

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority appears to be delaying a planned toll increase.

WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti reports.

The Turnpike Authority Board of Directors had been scheduled to take a final vote on the latest round of toll increases today. Instead, the Board's latest agenda says it will only discuss the issue.

If the vote had been taken, tunnel tolls could have risen to $7.

Board member Mary Connaughton approves of the delay. She says the Pike can't keep dipping into drivers' pockets to cover billions of dollars of debt generated by the Big Dig.

CONNAUGHTON: So, I'm hoping that the governor wants a larger solution to this as part of a comprehensive solution to transportation-funding issues in the Commonwealth.

The Senate recently proposed a massive transportation agency consolidation plan. Governor Patrick has promised to unveil his own proposal this legislative session.