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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Joseph F. Markosek
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Markosek preparing for fall transportation funding vote
HARRISBURG, July 7 – State Rep. Joseph Markosek says he and other transportation leaders will have a busy summer crafting legislation to fund Pennsylvania's transportation needs in advance of a fall vote.
"We have a plethora of ideas in front of us," said Markosek, chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "But the devil is in the details, and it will take time to craft bills and determine if they are acceptable to members. This important work will take a few months."
Earlier this year, the House Democratic and Republican Transportation and Policy committees jointly held seven hearings across the state to discuss the additional $3.5 billion a year Pennsylvania needs to maintain its highways, bridge and public transit systems, and to hear from the public on ways to develop funding. Markosek noted that his colleagues in the Senate are also holding hearings on the state's transportation funding crisis.
Witnesses at House transportation hearings suggested a number of solutions, from raising vehicle registration fees to a gas-tax increase to charging motorists for using restricted high-speed lanes on some of the state's interstates. Suggestions to enable Pennsylvania to enter into public-private partnerships and to give local governments revenue-raising options to support mass transit or road and bridge projects in their areas are under consideration, Markosek said.
"Leaders from both chambers will need to meet and discuss the best way to proceed," Markosek said. "It's my hope we can work in a bipartisan manner to solve a problem that transcends politics. We are working diligently to prepare for the Special Session on Transportation when the legislature reconvenes in September."
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