We certainly hope that all of our coalition friends had an enjoyable and relaxing break over the holidays. As we look ahead in the New Year, we realize that there are still transportation issues that need to be addressed, so it doesn’t appear that our group will be going out of business anytime soon.

The good news is that Act 89 is providing about $1.5 billion per year for PennDOT projects that would not be moving forward otherwise. Three issues we had been working on remain to be addressed:

  • Our elected leaders cannot continue to divert more than $800 million per year from the Motor License Fund to support State Police and pay for the upkeep of Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges.
  • Although Congress stepped forward with a longer – yet still temporary – boost in federal highway support last year, we still must secure a sustainable, long-term funding solution at the federal level.
  • In the interest of keeping everyone safe in work zones – highway workers and the traveling public alike -we need to implement automated speed enforcement similar to the program in Maryland that has reduced excessive speeding in work zones to less than 1 percent.

In addition, it behooves all of us to continue to promote the benefits of Act 89 of 2013 to reinforce to our constituencies that the measure is having a positive impact on our quality of life.

Act 89 was Pennsylvania’s first comprehensive transportation measure, supporting all modes of transportation. It’s important to recognize that its benefits greatly outweigh any shortcomings.

Be of Good Cheer,

— The Wolff

Transportation Issue Update