Skip to main content

Pennsylvania Senate approves transportation budget

After lengthy discussions, the Pennsylvania Senate has approved a US$2.3 billion transportation funding bill to repair aging highways and bridges, and bolster mass transit across the state. The bulk of the money, US$1.65 billion, will go toward fixing bridges and roads; about US$475 million will go to mass transit systems, including metropolitan transportation authority Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The funding will be disbursed across all transportation modes, from gravel r
November 22, 2013 Read time: 1 min
After lengthy discussions, the Pennsylvania Senate has approved a US$2.3 billion transportation funding bill to repair aging highways and bridges, and bolster mass transit across the state.

The bulk of the money, US$1.65 billion, will go toward fixing bridges and roads; about US$475 million will go to mass transit systems, including 1267 Metropolitan Transportation Authority 4288 Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The funding will be disbursed across all transportation modes, from gravel roads to superhighways, roads crossing streams and rivers and airports, seaports, rail lines and cycle paths.

The bill also will allow speed limits to increase to 70 mph on certain roads to be determined by a 6111 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation study.

However, the investment comes at a price. Motorists will be footing the bill for the new investments with higher fuel taxes and increased vehicle registration, driver's licence and moving violation fees that will be phased in over five years.

Related Content

  • Ohio River Bridges East End crossing project opened to traffic
    December 21, 2016
    The Ohio River Bridges East End Crossing, now named the Lewis and Clark Bridge, has opened to traffic to connect SR 265 in Indiana with the Gene Snyder Freeway in Kentucky, marking the substantial completion of the $2.3 billion Louisville Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges project, which included the Downtown Crossing, now named the Abraham Lincoln Bridge. Parsons was the lead partner in the Community Transportation Solutions joint venture (JV). The JV served as the overall project’s general engineerin
  • Tennessee releases transportation program
    April 7, 2014
    Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has released its three-year transportation program, featuring approximately US$1.5 billion in infrastructure investments for 59 individual project phases in 41 counties, as well as 14 state-wide programs. Due to the uncertainty of the future of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, TDOT has taken a conservative approach to this building program. The program does not feature early engineering work on any new projects. TDOT is continuing its pay-as-you-go philosophy and
  • US ITS systems approach critical decision time
    February 6, 2012
    Connie Sorrell, chair of the ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, explains why ITS in America is approaching a critical crossroads
  • US ITS systems approach critical decision time
    February 3, 2012
    Connie Sorrell, chair of the ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, explains why ITS in America is approaching a critical crossroads. Connie Sorrell, as Chief of Systems Operations for the Virginia Department of Transportation, doesn't normally speak in hyperbole, but she can't help but be enthusiastic about this year's ITS America's annual meeting in the nation's capitol, 1-3 June, 2009. Certainly, as Chair of the 2009 ITS America Annual Meeting and Exposition, like everyone who has performed this impo