Recently, the Mass Turnpike Authority released their plans to double the tolls for the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels from $3.50 to $7.00. Needless to say, commuters are outraged. 60 speakers took the microphone for a 2 1/2 hour meeting last night at Lynn City Hall to voice their opinions. The Salem News covered the event:
“I cannot even possibly call what you’ve put forward a plan,” state Rep. John Keenan told the Turnpike Authority. “… To suggest you can just hammer away at the North Shore and my constituents in the city of Salem is simply not fair. If you can look yourself in the mirror or one person in this auditorium in the eye and tell them that $7 is fair, go ahead.”
Outrage seemed to be the overwhelming emotion of the evening.
One man sitting directly in front of the Turnpike Authority kept holding a sign over his head reading: “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Michael Kelleher, founder of a toll opposition group called StopthePikeHike.org, called on commuters to pay their tolls in change to protest the hike, then dropped $7 in nickels, dimes and quarters onto the podium.
