COLUMN	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nicole Reigelman House Democratic Communications Office Phone: 717-787-7895 Fax: 717-783-6839 Email: nreigelm@pahouse.net	State Rep. John Siptroth D-Monroe/Pike www.pahouse.com/siptroth
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August 15, 2007

Transit package is the start of fortifying infrastructure

By State Rep. John Siptroth

This year the legislature passed the state budget’s transportation package just weeks prior to the devastating bridge collapse in Minnesota. Although half a country away, the heart-wrenching collapse was a precise illustration of what could happen in any state or community with a deteriorating transit infrastructure.

Residents across the state know the reality of the Commonwealth’s poor and crumbling roadways and bridges in disrepair. Monroe County alone has over 90 bridges in need of fixing. However the dedicated funding in the new budget is the start to making the much-needed improvements in our transportation infrastructure, while also supplying funds for public transit systems in communities across the state.

The Poconos has its share of transit woes that have been and will continue to be addressed. Our roadways undergo exceptional wear and tear due to the large percentage of commuters traveling on a daily or weekly basis, not to mention the impressive tourist traffic throughout the year and truck traffic on our highways.

In this year’s approved budget, transit projects will see more funding than they have in past years, and we have finally established a dedicated funding source for mass transportation that will grow with inflation so the annual fight over funding between mass transit and roadway repairs will cease.

The revenue generated under the new plan, which includes increased tolls on the turnpike as well as tolls on Interstate 80, will deliver an average of $946 million per year, with $411 million going to mass transit systems statewide, $500 million going to state roads and bridges, and $35 million per year (a 10 percent increase) to counties and municipalities to repair and maintain roads and bridges not owned by the state.

While a controversial decision, instituting tolls on I-80 is necessary to generate the funds needed to repair our ailing highways. It is the intention of leaders to establish the toll system so that it has a minimal effect on the residents who depend on it for daily travel, and so it captures revenue mostly from truckers and others traveling clear across the state.

The reality is that our roads and bridges are in poor condition, and because the federal government has failed to pay for improvements to our roads, Pennsylvania needs to establish a way to care for its own infrastructure. By investing in our transit infrastructure we’ll not only improve safety, but also reduce wear and tear on our cars.

For more information on this and other budget topics, visit my Web site at www.pahouse.com/Siptroth.

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