Road & Bridge Safety Awards now open to PA Boroughs

Each year the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) team with various state organizations to recognize the best road safety or bridge improvement projects undertaken across the state.   Eligible projects are those in which most or all of the safety improvements were completed in 2011.  The competition recognizes not only major, high-cost projects, but any improvements that have increased public safety.   

The 2012 program is now open to those members of the PA State Association of Boroughs (PSAB).  The progam will recognize boroughs use of highway user fees for needed community safety improvements, culminating in a presentation to the winners at PSAB’s annual conference at Seven Springs Resort on May 2, 2012.  Click HERE to download a copy of the entry brochure.  The entry deadline is March 16, 2012. 

For more information on other municipal organization’s Road and Bridge Safety Award programs, click here.

Iowa legislators stepping up on transportation

While we haven’t forgotten that the “P” in PHIA stands for “Pennsylvania,” from time to time it’s worth noting how other states are dealing with transportation funding issues.  News reports from Iowa suggest that legislators from both parties are coalescing toward a proposal to raise user fees in order to address the Hawkeye State’s transportation needs.  The effort is being advanced by legislators and is based on recommendations of the governor’s transportation advisory commission.  Sound familiar?

For a news account, click here.

To read a copy of the PA’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission Report, click here.

Transportation funding goes bipartisan, bicameral

Support for a transportation funding solution broadened considerably this week as three leaders of Pennsylvania’s House Democratic caucus introduced legislation that mirrors the bills introduced last fall by a Senate Republican. The House and Senate versions are both patterned after the recommendations of Gov. Tom Corbett’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission.

State Rep. Mike Hanna (D-Clinton), the minority whip, described the initiative as “extending an olive branch” to Republicans and Governor Corbett, signaling bipartisan support for a major policy issue at a time when school vouchers, privatization of state liquor stores and a Marcellus Shale drilling fee have languished in partisan disagreement.

At a Capitol news conference, several reporters expressed skepticism that legislators could muster the political will to address the problem in an election year. However, recent public opinion polls show that a majority of voters believe transportation funding is the most important issue currently facing Pennsylvania, and the TFAC’s proposed solution might actually save a typical motorist more than it costs in wasted gasoline and vehicle maintenance.

To view an excerpt of the news conference, click below: 

To see Associated Pennsylvania Constructors’ response, click here.

PennDOT ends 2011 with $1.8 billion in lettings

PennDOT lets $263 million in projects in December

The state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) bid just over $263.7 million in projects in December bringing the final year-to-date total to $1.812 billion.  In 2010, PennDOT ended the year with $2.119 billion in lettings.

PennDOT initially forecast the 2011 year to see $1.7 billion in lettings, which was the level of the program back in 2006-07.  While PennDOT slightly exceeded its forecast, the total still represents a flat construction program.  PennDOT made a 2012 construction year forecast at $1.5 billion due to a decrease in state funding and stagnant federal funding.  For more information regarding the department’s forecast you can view Dep. Secretary Scott Christie’s presentation at the annual APC Fall Seminar by going here.

It is important to note that just a few years ago, PennDOT’s 2009 lettings were $2.8 billion due to the billion dollars in economic stimulus funds, which have been completely spent.

To view the full report and year comparisons, click the link below.

• December Letting Report* (PDF)

*The report lists the total contracts awarded at each letting date, a comparison to the same period in the previous calendar year, and letting adjustments made since the previous month. PHIA staff will track PennDOT lettings throughout the year and provide monthly updates.

2011 in review: Still no transportation funding

If your holiday wish is to see some action on the transportation funding issue, I’m afraid you should expect coal under your tree this year. Below is commentary provided by PHIA on the transportation funding effort as 2011 closes with an industry facing an uncertain future.

Veterans of the transportation construction industry are not exaggerating when they tell you that efforts to establish steady, sustainable, comprehensive funding sources for highways and public transit have been underway for decades.

A year ago, there were reasons for great optimism that 2011 was shaping up to be the year that a comprehensive funding solution, finally, could occur:

• Pennsylvania elected a pro-business governor who seemed to understand the need, and expressed support, for a sound transportation system, and he appointed a PennDOT secretary from the industry whose knowledge and understanding of the problems is unsurpassed.
• There was growing, bipartisan agreement in the General Assembly that the funding issue needed to be addressed.
• The public’s support for a funding solution that would improve safety and relieve congestion was growing. Polling showed that a majority of voters were willing to make a modest investment in improving the transportation and believed that transportation funding was the most important issue facing Pennsylvania.
• There was a strong need to stimulate the economy by creating jobs, and a robust economic study showed that not only would a well funded transportation do that, the majority of the jobs created would be in industries other than construction.
• A coalition of transportation system advocates, the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition, came together in support, simply, for a comprehensive transportation funding solution. The coalition transcended ideological, political, geographical and socioeconomic boundaries.
• Newspaper editorials across the Commonwealth expressed nearly universal, strong support for a transportation funding solution.
• The construction industry itself stepped up and marshaled substantial resources to mount an education campaign to support a funding solution.

When Governor Corbett appointed a funding advisory commission and charged it with crafting a funding solution, and left nearly every option on the table except increasing the cents-per-gallon flat gas tax, optimism peaked. The commission delivered its recommendations on Aug. 1, and Corbett said he would review the report and announce which recommendations he would endorse.

The fall legislative session came and went without a signal from the governor. Sen. Jake Corman, a Centre County Republican, finally agreed to introduce legislation that mirrored the funding commission’s recommendations.

Administration officials assured transportation funding proponents that the governor supports a funding solution, but did not wish to distract legislators from focusing on several other public policy initiatives, such as school vouchers, privatization of liquor stores and the establishment of Marcellus Shale fees.

The governor and the General Assembly left the transportation funding issue for 2012, an election year for all House members and half of the Senate. Most recently, the word from the administration was that transportation funding would be considered as part of the budget process and would become a featured component in a planned job-creation initiative.

“I cannot imagine a more favorable environment in which to address this issue than the one we’ve had in place in 2011,” said Robert Latham of Associated Pennsylvania Constructors. “Nevertheless, our job is to sustain that favorable environment so that policymakers have a level of comfort that the public is on board and does, in fact, want a safer, less congested transportation system in Pennsylvania.”

PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch has warned that without a funding solution, the state is facing a plethora of additional weight-restricted and/or closed bridges, adding to the traffic congestion that has already affected the more populous areas of the state.

The Post-Gazette reported recently that Pittsburgh’s Port Authority has begun planning for a 35 percent reduction in service hours that will come next fall if Gov. Tom Corbett and the General Assembly fail to act on a statewide transportation funding shortfall. While Pittsburgh’s situation is particularly dire, public transit systems across the state are facing similar challenges.

Meanwhile, it is clear that there is no consensus in Congress regarding a new multi-year transportation funding package to replace the one that expired two years ago.

“It’s long past time that we get moving on transportation funding,” Latham said. “Are our elected officials preparing to continue to ignore this issue while conditions deteriorate?”

Poll shows broad support for addressing funding problem

A Franklin & Marshall College Poll shows that a majority of Pennsylvania voters rate the transportation funding issue as either the most important or one of the most important issues now facing the Commonwealth.

The issue outpolled the Marcellus Shale tax, school vouchers, liquor store privatization and electoral vote distribution in terms of importance. Perhaps of even greater significance is that only 8 percent of those surveyed said the transportation finding issue is not important.

The Associated Pennsylvania Constructors commented on the poll results in a news release distributed earlier this week. To view the news release, click here.

Leading business organization joins transportation funding chorus

The Pennsylvania Business Council (PBC) joined a growing list of business and economic development organizations in support of the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission recommendations. The PBC represents some of the largest employers in the state and issued a policy statement supporting the recommendations of the Commission, which was appointment at the direction of Gov. Tom Corbett earlier this year. The PBC also applauded Sen. Jake Corman for his earlier announcement that he would introduce legislation to enact those recommendations outlined in the report, which was released on Aug. 1. Read more

Joint transportation committee hears TFAC update

Members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate transportation committees opened a joint hearing Tuesday to be briefed on the recommendations of Gov. Tom Corbett’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC).

PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch opened with an update on the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, then followed with a summary of the TFAC report. Much of his focus was on various “modernization” initiatives that PennDOT already has begun to undertake.

He also laid out the reasoning behind the recommended lifting of the cap on the Oil Company Franchise Tax, explaining that unlike some previous funding proposals all transportation system users, including those who are not Pennsylvania residents, would share the burden equitably. Read more

Patriot-News editorial calls for funding support

Those who attended PHIA’s annual meeting in April may recall that the Harrisburg Patriot-News was recognized for its insightful editorials supporting a transportation funding solution.

The Patriot-News editorial of Sept. 16 shows unwavering support for crafting a solution to this dilemma.  To read the editorial, click here.

National research group says PA rural roads unsafe and among worst in nation

A national transportation research group, The Road Information Program (TRIP), released a report showing that Pennsylvania’s rural roadways are becoming increasingly unsafe.  The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,”states that Pennsylvania leads the nation in the percentage of rural bridges that are structurally deficient and sixth in the nation in the number of rural roadway fatalities. Read more