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

  • Most Americans support usage fees to pay for transportation infrastructure
    April 29, 2016
    Nearly two-thirds of Americans would support the use of road-usage fee options such as vehicle miles travelled or mileage-based user fees to help fund transportation costs, according to a new America Thinks national public opinion survey conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of infrastructure firm HNTB Corporation. The survey, Transportation Mobility 2016, also found that close to 170 million Americans (69 per cent) agree priced managed lanes should be considered when making improvements to US highways.
  • USDoT pilots show win-win potential for connected vehicles
    December 19, 2017
    Pete Goldin discovers the state of play with connected vehicles trials in the US and the impact of Hurricane Irma on Tampa’s pilot. The US Department of Transportation’s (USDoT’s) connected vehicle (CV) pilot sites have moved into phase 2 of the deployment programme– design, build, test and, maybe most importantly, collaborate.
  • Improved productivity and advanced technology benefits ITS
    December 13, 2012
    John Horsley will hang up his hat as executive director of AASHTO in February 2013. After 14 years at the helm, he will bow out convinced of the current and future benefits of ITS for US transportation. Alot of exciting career opportunities still await young engineers in US transportation, says John Horsley, outgoing executive director of AASHTO – the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials. Horsley will be dedicating more of his time to matters of ITS after he stands down in Februa
  • Time to decide
    December 4, 2014
    The old fuel tax methods can no longer produce the funding required to maintain the infrastructure without a massive increase in duty rates. In this issue we get a variety of views on two of the hottest topics in transportation; financing models and Smart Cities.