No Plans to Fill Budget Hole?

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the dire state of transportation funding within Pennsylvania. As many of you know, Act 44, the Commonwealth’s law that determines transportation funding, is expected to fall short $450 million if the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) denies the application once again. And, unfortunately, it seems that the state has no back-up plan if the application is rejected.

The Chairman of the State House Transportation Committee, Rep. Joseph Markosek, likened this matter to a looming armageddon, claiming, “It will be infrastructure nuclear winter.” Scared yet? You should be. It means that basic funding for road and highway repairs will be severely affected. But, of course, the biggest loser in funding-shortages is always public transportation, and that seems to be the case this time as well, with SEPTA general manager Joseph Casey stating that “major products, such as such as automated fare collection on trains and buses, will have to be pushed back.”

It is unclear how soon we will know the decision by the FHWA, but what you can do right now is contact the below legislators in support of tolling I-80. We posted the information last week, but here it is again:

Senator Arlen Specter
Ph: 202-224-4254
Fax: 202-228-1229
Contact Form: http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Congressman Robert Brady
Ph: 202-225-4731
Fax: 202-225-0088
Contact Form: http://www.brady.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=112&sectiontree=112

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz
Ph: 202-225-6111
Fax: 202-226-0611
Contact Form: http://schwartz.house.gov/issue_subscribe.shtml

Congressman Chaka Fattah
Ph: 202-225-4001
Fax: 202-225-5392

Congressman Patrick Murphy
Ph: 202-225-4276
Fax: 202-225-9511

About these ads