DVRPC Calls for Action on Critical Transportation Funding Issue Loss of Act 44 Funding Will Jeopardize Transportation Projects

(Philadelphia, PA) – Transportation funding in Pennsylvania is in jeopardy, and so are millions of dollars of road, bridge, and transit projects in southeastern Pennsylvania. Act 44 legislation, a key component of transportation funding in the state, called for the tolling of I-80 and additional revenue from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Because the Federal Highway Administration ruled on prohibiting the tolling of I-80 in Pennsylvania, Act 44 cannot be fully funded. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the metropolitan planning organization for Greater Philadelphia, is calling on legislators to act now to restore this lost funding and create a dedicated funding source for the Commonwealth’s roads, bridges, and transit.

“Pennsylvania is at a crossroads – in one direction we have potholes, bridges closed to traffic, and crumbling transit infrastructure. In the other, we have a modern transportation system that can pave the way to a vibrant future,” said DVRPC Executive Director, Barry Seymour. “Transportation is vital to the success of the region. A well-maintained and expanded system can have positive impacts on economic competitiveness, environmental quality, livability, and sustainability. It is now up to the legislators to take action on this critical issue.”

Without full funding of Act 44, PennDOT District 6 anticipates a reduction of $57 million annually for road and bridge projects in southeastern Pennsylvania beginning in Fiscal Year 2011. SEPTA’s capital funding will be reduced by $110 million per year, equivalent to a 25% cut in the Capital Budget. The impact of limited funding reaches well beyond a particular funding level per year, and has necessitated that PennDOT and SEPTA defer hundreds of millions of dollars of road reconstruction, bridge, and transit projects in the DVRPC region. See the list of major transportation projects affected by insufficient funding.

Despite record state and federal investments in highways and bridges in the last seven years, Pennsylvania still has approximately 5,000 structurally deficient bridges – the highest number of any state – and approximately 6,000 miles of roads that are in need of repair. Transit agencies have been making progress in the backlog of deferred capital improvements. Although the agencies have been achieving system enhancements, they will now be forced to defer the advancement of hundreds of millions of dollars of improvements.

“There are many alternatives to raising the funds that tolling I-80 would have brought”, continued Barry Seymour. “For example, raising the gas tax by a nickel per gallon costs the average driver just two dollars per month, and raises over $300 million per year statewide. Most people will accept two dollars per month. What is not acceptable for the future of Pennsylvania is to do nothing”.

Background on Act 44

In November 2006, the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission released its final report on the status of transportation funding in the state. The report addressed the need for a baseline preservation funding level (what is needed to maintain the current transportation network). In July 2007, Act 44 was signed into law, increasing transportation funding in Pennsylvania by 30 percent over previous levels. An average of $946 million in additional annual funding was anticipated for the next decade, with $532 million dedicated to highways and bridges and $432 devoted to transit. To generate these new highway and bridge funds, up to $5 billion was to be borrowed by bonds. The bonds were to be backed up by increasing tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and new tolls on I-80.

About DVRPC

DVRPC serves as the official planning and review agency for the nine-county metropolitan region, which comprises Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey. Through data collection, research, coordination, and planning efforts, DVRPC sets a framework for governmental decisions affecting development within the Delaware Valley. By way of congressional mandate, federal transportation legislation (SAFETEA-LU) requires that DVRPC, as the MPO for the region, develop and update a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in order for the region to be eligible to receive and spend federal transportation funds. Visit www.dvrpc.org for more information.