The Outraged Liberal considers a possible real motive behind the humongous toll increases approved by the turnpike authority yesterday: Put pressure on the legislature to increase the gas tax.

He notes the tolls don't take effect until February or March, and not until after a public hearing (where will they hold that? Gillette Stadium?).

... Presumably, that would be enough time for Deval Patrick and legislators to get off their, um, sidelines, and approve a comprehensive plan to tackle the transportation nightmare (hey, throw in the disaster known as the MBTA while you are at it.) ...

Dan Kennedy on the turnpike authority: What, are they insane?

Jay Fitzgerald predicts we'll wind up with a toll increase, a gas-tax hike and the transfer of turnpike "hacks" to a new state authority. He uses a classic cartoon to illustrate how he feels this morning.

The Globe reports on toll increases approved by the turnpike authority today for the Weston and Allston/Brighton tolls and the harbor tunnels, starting in February or March. Most notable: Tolls at the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels will increase from $3.50 to $7 - although FastLane users will get to pay just $6.

Only no paparazzi this time.

Shelley was glad to see the Sumner Tunnel was fully back in operation today after two week's of repair. She was not too happy to see that the same damn leak that's been there for years was still there - although probably not as upset as the person in the convertible in front of her:

... Let's just say that the person in the convertible in front of me had some mopping up to do when he got through the Sumner this morning. ...

Jimbo wonders if it would be too much to ask to have the city, the turnpike authority and the MBTA coordinate their shutdowns so that they don't all shut down key transportation routes at the same exact time.

Eeka pulls over to let an ambulance go by and a cab smashes into her and then takes off.

TS, though, reports that sometimes Masshole cabbies do get what's coming to them - although, of course, being cabbies, they wind up shutting down the Sumner Tunnel in the process.

Lewis Forman begins to wonder after reading about the latest problems in the tunnels connecting his neighborhood to the rest of the city:

... Now people are scared to come to our little hamlet. Let alone purchase one of the many new condo's and houses in the area. How will I drive anywhere? Driving in the tunnels is now a sport. First we had to dodge waterfalls. Then large cement ceiling tiles. Then useless bolts. Now our oldest tunnel, at 72 years young, is in need of repair because, gasp, it actually wasn't even inspected for a long time. ...