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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Joseph Markosek |
  
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Committee hearing to focus on public-private transportation partnerships
HARRISBURG, Sept. 5 – The state House Transportation Committee, chaired by Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland, will hold a public hearing Monday in Philadelphia on issues ranging from highway funding to infrastructure improvement and public-private partnerships.
The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8 in the SEPTA Headquarters Board Room, 10th floor, 1234 Market St., Philadelphia.
The hearing will focus on testimony relative to legislation under consideration in the committee (H.B. 555), which would encourage investment by private companies, in cooperation with the state, in the development and operation of transportation facilities in Pennsylvania.
"Partnering with private entities is an increasingly common way to meet the funding challenges faced by governments," Markosek said. "The committee hopes to gather useful information by listening to the testimony of several experts in the transportation planning and management fields in order to determine if these kinds of public/private partnerships would be a good option for funding the Commonwealth’s aging transportation infrastructure."
The state Senate has its own version of the legislation (S.B. 1158), which is also being considered by the House Transportation Committee.
The hearing will feature James Whitty, a manager of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Office of Innovative Partnerships and Alternative Funding. As part of his duties, Whitty manages the development of public-private transportation ventures in that state. He spearheaded the development and implementation of several programs in Oregon to find alternative means for transportation funding, including a Road User Fee Pilot Program, which consists of a distance-based road user fee.
Others scheduled to testify on Monday include:
· Marcus Lemon, chief counsel of the Federal Highway Administration;
· George Schoener, executive director of the I-95 Corridor Coalition;
· Art Smith, board chairman of the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships; and
· Steven Cohen, assistant director of physical infrastructure issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
On Tuesday the committee will reconvene for an informal briefing regarding the status of transportation projects in southeastern Pennsylvania. The briefing will begin at 9 a.m., Sept. 9 and also will be held in the SEPTA Headquarters Board Room.
Media coverage is invited at both events.
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