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

  • Price comparison website calls for reduction of traffic lights on UK roads
    August 25, 2016
    Price-comparison website Confused.com is calling for a re-think on traffic lights in the UK in order to reduce congestion. This is supported by an Institute of Economic Affairs report which puts the cost of delays caused by traffic controls at US$21 billion (£16 billion) a year. It also states that four in five (80%) traffic lights in the UK could be removed to boost the economy and road safety. New research by Confused.com reveals that the average UK driver spends 48.5 hours a year stationary at traffic
  • A better use for the UK’s commuter railways?
    February 4, 2015
    A new report by think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at an alternative to expanding the rail network in the UK. The report, Paving over the tracks: a better use of Britain’s railways?, by Paul Withrington and Richard Wellings outlines how commuters could pay over 40 per cent less for their journeys and more passengers could enjoy the luxury of a seat if the industry was sufficiently liberalised to allow some commuter railways in London to be converted into busways. The success of the bu
  • Pioneering new passenger information systems
    February 3, 2012
    Chicago pioneers new passenger information initiatives. By David Crawford
  • Smart technology keeps infrastructure operating safely
    August 30, 2013
    US Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are using smart technology to warn civil engineers when something is wrong with the infrastructure, says the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Association (AASHTO). Sensors installed on bridges, in roadways, and on maintenance vehicles are communicating real-time performance and weather data, allowing engineers to solve problems before they occur. "Most people look at a road or a bridge and never realise the technology that today's modern tra