Ray's Round Up: Fixing PA Bridges and Road - Good News and Bad

It has gotten hot in Pennsylvania over the last few weeks – oh, and the weather is pretty uncomfortable too.  As the Commonwealth continues to operate without a budget, the Governor and the Republican majority in the General Assembly continue to accuse each other of failing to negotiate in good faith.  But without anything new to report on this, let’s take a look at another public policy issue that’s in the news and of critical importance to Pennsylvanians.

Transportation

News reports this week said the United States is on track to have more highway traffic deaths in 2015 than in any year since 2007. It is projected that more than 40,000 Americans will be killed on the nation’s roads this year.  Making our road and bridges safer through state and federal transportation programs is a key step in protecting lives.

Did you know Pennsylvania has more than 25,000 bridges on its highways?  Pennsylvania bridges are more likely to be structurally deficient than in any other state.  We also have more than 40,000 miles of paved roads - the 5 ^th highest total in the nation.

The safety of the drivers that use these roads and bridges was part of the reason AARP Pennsylvania is active in the Keystone Transportation Coalition, a group made up of diverse organizations that advocate for sound transportation solutions.

Just a few years ago, the Coalition supported the comprehensive transportation bill which allowed Pennsylvania to catch up on its bridge and road maintenance.  This year, the Coalition has joined AARP to advocate for legislation to fully fund the Federal Highway Trust Fund (FHTF) – the fund that pays for highway improvements through the federal gasoline tax – for the next six years.  Pennsylvania’s allocation from the FHTF, combined with state transportation dollars, pays for transportation improvement projects in Pennsylvania.   The cost of these transportation projects is massive; without the FHTF funds, the progress being made to fix PA bridges and roads would come to a halt.

So here’s the bad news and good news:

The bad news is that the six-year fix for the Federal Highway Trust Fund has not passed.  Yet.

The good news is that Congress passed a three-month extension so they could continue the debate when they return to session in the fall.  A key part of the transportation issue is that both the state and federal programs are not restricted to road and bridges.  Comprehensive transportation planning, including public transportation, increasing safety for pedestrians, and making the transportation network more age-friendly, is included in these proposals and laws.

There is still hope the transportation funding issue won’t be devoured in the partisan political debate that seems to engulf so many issues that come before Congress.  Of course it might depend how many traffic jams Members of Congress get caught up in before they return to Washington in September.

 

“Ray’s Round Up” features updates on current state and federal issues by Ray Landis, AARP PA’s Advocacy Manager.