Six national groups have come out publicly against Pennsylvania's efforts to convert Interstate 80 into a toll road, a key provision of state transportation funding legislation.

Representing themselves as Americans for a Strong National Highway Network, they have asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject the state's request to toll I-80 as a pilot program.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, carrying out the proposal as directed under Act 44 passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Ed Rendell in July 2006, has a "first phase" application pending before the Federal Highway Administration.

It has conducted a number of engineering, traffic and financial studies and is already seeking proposals for electronic tolling equipment although the FHWA has yet to give preliminary approval.

The coalition includes the American Trucking Association, the American Highway Users Alliance, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the American Motorcycle Association.

In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, the coalition said the I-80 tolling proposal "is inconsistent with the provisions and spirit" of the federal pilot program authorizing tolls on interstates that they currently travel for free.

Under the public-public partnership, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has agreed to lease the 311-mile-long highway to the turnpike, which would use the revenue to improve, maintain and operate it, and then send some of the money back to PennDOT as "rent" to pay for state roads, bridges and public transit.

The coalition said the federal transportation act limits spending toll revenues to the road being tolled; that tolls are not the only option to fund the state's transportation programs; and the turnpike's plan to exempt up to 70 percent of local residents by not charging cars, motorcycles and small trucks passing through the first mainline toll barrier violates federal commerce-uniformity provisions.