Comprehensive Transportation Bill Signed by Governor Corbett
Many Long-Sought 10,000 Friends Priorities Become Law
10,000
Friends of Pennsylvania commends the Republican and Democratic
leadershipof the Pennsylvania General Assembly for reaching a reasonable
compromiseand passing the transportation bill, HB1060. We applaud
Governor Corbett for signing the bill into law, as Act 89, while
traveling the Commonwealth Monday.
With
the signing of Act 89, critically needed funding can now begin to flow
to key transportation and transit projects throughout the Commonwealth.
Roughly 23% of all funding in this bill - $2.2 billion over the
next five years - goes to much-needed transit projects. In addition, the
bill makes a large commitment of approximately $700 million over the next five years in a first-ever Multi-Modal Fund.
10,000
Friends is very pleased to see several of our top priorities included
in the new law. We strongly advocated that at least 25% of all new
funding go to transit - to improve service for those who rely on transit
to get to work or school or the doctor's office. It is
sound public policy to encourage greater use of public transit, as our
transit systems efficiently meet the mobility needs of thousands daily,
while conserving energy and providing the best means of reducing traffic
congestion and improving air quality. And paying for these transit
investments at least in part through an additional dedicated slice of
the state Sales & Use tax, another 10,000 Friends priority, has also
become law in Act 89 - with a minimum amount of $450 million annually beginning in year 2022-2023.
We
were an early advocate and supporter of creating a new Multi-Modal
Fund, building on both the legacy of the Community Transportation pilot
we created and championed as well as on our vision of promoting better
land use, and we are tremendously gratified that a first-ever
Multi-Modal Fund has been established. Insisting that the
new Multi-Modal Fund be adequately funded to make robust investments, we
led in singularly pressing House and Senate leaders for increased
Multi-Modal Funding - and indeed the Fund has grown from the $60 million annually first proposed to $151 million provided annually when Act 89 is fully implemented. This
increased funding will result in many more bicycling and pedestrian
projects than previously possible - along with streetscape and main
street improvements, and opportunities to build new trail networks,
safer crosswalks, and safe routes to schools. In a state where 12% of
traffic fatalities involve pedestrian and bicyclists, especially senior
citizens, this funding will make our streets, highways, and
neighborhoods safer while creating more vibrant, connected, healthier
communities. Thus this compromise law is a major step towards making the
long term investments needed in our transit systems and other
community-based transportation options for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Act 89 is an enormous improvement over the bill that stalled in the House at the end of June. As a direct result of our advocacy, an additional $285 million in funding for the Multi-Modal Fund (over five years) was secured that did not exist in the June version of the bill. We also strongly supported, with our close partners, the strategy that resulted in more than a $1.2 billion increase (over five years) in additional funding for transit not included in the June version of the bill. These increases represent a real victory for those of us who argued that it was worth fighting for - and negotiating - a better bill.
No
one wants to pay more in gas taxes or vehicle registration fees. But
access to a world-class transportation system is not an entitlement-it
costs money. We should regard paying for our transportation network like
we already accept paying for all the other networks and utilities
essential to connecting us to modern life, including telephone, cell
phone, internet access, cable television, electricity, water, and waste disposal services. Since
the revenue produced by gas taxes at previous rates was not sufficient
even to pay for the repair and maintenance of existing roads and bridges
that previous generations had paid to build, increased investment was
necessary.
This
is not a perfect law by any means. We wish it included more funding
for community transportation, more explicitly prioritized road and
bridge maintenance, and explicitly linked project investments with sound
land-use and land-planning principles. But it is an important step
forward. For 10,000 Friends and those committed to building a prosperous
and healthy Pennsylvania, this act is a hopeful sign that despite our
much too polarized politics, it is possible to secure the resources
needed to build a vision of a better future for Pennsylvanians-a safe,
well-maintained, well-connected multi-modal transportation system that
provides all Pennsylvanians with more choices and better access to jobs,
shops, schools, recreation, and other valued destinations and creates a
more prosperous, vibrant, healthy Pennsylvania with the infrastructure
needed to take advantage of new opportunities in the 21st Century.
#####
10,000
Friends of Pennsylvania is the leading statewide and regional advocated
for creating great communities and the recognized authority on
responsible land use. Our vision is to have a positive impact on the
built and natural environments through responsible and efficient land
use. Founded in 1998, our work improves the quality of life for all
Pennsylvanians-we build and support coalitions of citizens, public
officials, and organizations to create land use, infrastructure, and
development policies, practices, and projects that strengthen our
economy, conserve land, save money, promote public health, and reinvest
in our diverse cities, towns, older suburbs, and rural communities.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment