People attending a special transportation symposium sponsored by the Clarion County Economic Development Agency today heard what was right and wrong with how Pennsylvania funds roads, bridges and public transit.

Strong differences of opinion centered on Act 44, the transportation funding legislation adopted by the state Legislature in July 2007. An attempt to raise money by converting Interstate 80 to a toll road was rejected by the Federal Highway Administration, but a part of the act to increase Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls by 25 percent starting Jan. 4 remains as the sole source of new transportation revenue.

"Act 44 will generate $2.5 billion in new transportation funding in a three-year period without I-80 tolls," said state Rep. Joe Markosek, D-Monroeville, chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "Act 44 represents a clear long-range solution to our massive funding crisis, all without raising taxes or relinquishing control of a valuable state asset."

Retiring U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Venango, a leading force against tolling I-80, characterized Act 44 as "destructive" because it requires the turnpike to borrow the $2.5 billion to turn over to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

He also warned people and businesses living along the I-80 corridor to "be on alert," predicting turnpike and state officials will try again to win federal approval for tolling the highway because there will soon be a Democratic President and Democratic-controlled Congress.

"We won the first battle, but our work is far from over," Mr. Peterson said, promising to be as active opposing the I-80 toll plan in his upcoming retirement as he has been in his elected position.

Meanwhile, a national trucking group that participated in his campaign against I-80 now said Act 44 should be repealed in its entirety and the turnpike's upcoming toll increases should be lowered.

"Truckers move the vast majority of our nation's goods and commerce," said Mike Joyce, director of legislative affairs for the Missouri-based Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association with 7,500 members in Pennsylvania and 160,000 nationally. "The last thing we need to do in the middle of a recession is weight them down with significantly increased tolls."