Skip to main content

Approval for proposal to upgrade Pennsylvania’s transportation

Pennsylvania’s Senate leaders have approved a comprehensive proposal to fund the state’s transportation needs, saying the measure is vital to public safety and economic development. Once approved by the House of Representatives, the proposal will allow the state to invest more than US$2.5 billion in highways and bridges, transit agencies, railways, airports and ports. Pennsylvania has more structurally deficient bridges – nearly 4,400 – than any other state, and 23 percent of its 44,000 miles of state-owned
June 10, 2013 Read time: 1 min
Pennsylvania’s Senate leaders have approved a comprehensive proposal to fund the state’s transportation needs, saying the measure is vital to public safety and economic development.

Once approved by the House of Representatives, the proposal will allow the state to invest more than US$2.5 billion in highways and bridges, transit agencies, railways, airports and ports.

Pennsylvania has more structurally deficient bridges – nearly 4,400 – than any other state, and 23 percent of its 44,000 miles of state-owned roads are in poor condition.

A recent report by a national transportation group found that the poor state of Pennsylvania's roads and bridges costs state residents US$9.4 billion annually in vehicle operating costs, congestion delays and traffic accidents.

Related Content

  • The red light camera choice: 60 killed or save US$231 million a year
    June 5, 2015
    David Crawford investigates new cost-benefit analysis of red light cameras. US states can now realistically calculate the economic benefits of using red light safety cameras, alone or in combination with other measures, to cut road traffic accident levels. The results could be of material value in making the case for the cameras as a number of state legislatures continue to debate their acceptability.
  • 'More rail and transport equity', say Americans
    May 27, 2022
    WSP research suggests people want more say in how $1 trillion Infrastructure Act cash is spent
  • Report urges US$25 billion transport improvement plan
    August 6, 2014
    The One North report, produced by the city regions of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield in the UK, puts forward a strategic proposition for transport in the north of the country. The US$16.8-US$25.2 billion plan urges major changes in connectivity and capacity between the northern cities over the next 15 years and proposes optimisation of strategic highway capacity, a new high speed trans-Pennine rail route and improved city region rail networks interconnected with HS2 services, new inte
  • Oregon tests new mileage-base charging scheme
    August 5, 2013
    Jack Opiola from D’Artagnan Consulting LLP explains Oregon’s latest moves which mandated a trial of mileage-based road use charging. In 1919, Oregon made the 20th century’s most significant contribution to transportation funding policy, becoming the first state in America to implement a gas tax to pay for roads. This summer Oregon’s Legislature passed, and Governor John Kitzhaber signed into law, Senate Bill 810 which requires a distance-based road usage charge for 5,000 volunteer vehicles by 1 July 2015. T