HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement applauding Governor Corbett for signing HB 1060 and his tremendous leadership in getting a transportation funding solution done.
“Governor Corbett is a Governor who tackles tough challenges and gets things done. When the Governor signed a transportation bill yesterday, we were reminded of his leadership and commitment to reforming government. I thank Governor Corbett’s partners in the Senate and House their shared vision of getting kids to school safely, ensuring the security of our first responders and allowing hard working Pennsylvanians to get to and from work on quality roads and bridges.”
From the Governor’s Office: Governor Corbett Signs Comprehensive Transportation Legislation
Governor Tom Corbett today signed into law House Bill 1060, Pennsylvania’s most comprehensive piece of state transportation legislation in decades.
The transportation package will keep Pennsylvania safe and economically competitive by investing an additional $2.3 to $2.4 billion into the state’s roads and bridges by the fifth year of the plan and providing funding for transit systems across the state.
Corbett signed the bill today in Centre County. He was joined by supporters of the bill, local legislators and other dignitaries.
“Today I put my signature on Pennsylvania’s passport for the future,” Corbett said. “Through bipartisan spirit and an agreement that crossed party lines it shows that Pennsylvania is a state in which moderation, careful thought and good faith still play a large role in how we govern. Pennsylvania is a state that puts progress ahead of party lines with a common goal of serving our citizens.”
“This is an investment in the safety of our citizens and the progress of our economy. It will create more jobs and keep Pennsylvanians moving across safe, world-class highways and bridges,” Corbett said.
By the fifth year of the plan, the transportation package will invest an additional:
- $1.3 billion annually for state roads and bridges;
- $480 million to $495 million annually for public transportation;
- $237 million annually for local roads and bridges;
- $144 million annually in a multi-modal fund;
- $30 million annually for dirt, gravel and low-volume roadways; and
- $86 million annually for Pennsylvania Turnpike expansion projects.
Partial funding for the new transportation package is being derived from the elimination of the flat 12-cent gas tax and modernizing an outdated transportation financing structure through the uncapping of the wholesale, Oil Company Franchise Tax.
Pennsylvania law states that revenues from fuel taxes must be directed to highway and bridge-related costs and state police patrol functions and not used for any other purpose.
Many road and bridge projects are slated to start next spring. Also, because of this investment, transit systems in the state will continue to be able to operate without interruption.
“Because we worked together, we can now put shovels in the ground and rebuild our transportation system,” Corbett said. “The men and women who stood for this bill understand that compromise is not surrender, but rather a path to success.”
For more information on transportation funding and to view a comprehensive list of transportation projects, visit www.dot.state.pa.us.
(Governor Corbett Signs Comprehensive Transportation Legislation. Office of the Governor. 11/25/2013.)
Patriot News Editorial: The transportation funding bill headed to Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk is a win for Pennsylvania
Corbett and his allies — an unlikely coalition of business and labor leaders — correctly argued in the nearly two years of debate over the bill that new highway spending would result in job creation and spur economic development by providing a cheap and effective way of getting goods to market. In another example of his knack for political theater, Schoch put weight-restrictions on scores of state bridges, driving home the public safety importance of a funding package. Both were critical to securing legislative approval. But as we have argued before, the way government spends its money is also a reflection of our priorities as a society. And even as some of the most tax-averse lawmakers acknowledge, spending on roads and bridges is a core function of government. (The transportation funding bill headed to Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk is a win for Pennsylvania. Patriot News. 11/22/2013.)
Inquirer Editorial: “Corbett deserves credit for doggedly pursuing a deal”
On their road trip to a deal on funding for the state’s crumbling highways, rickety bridges, and aging transit systems, Gov. Corbett and state lawmakers sure took the long way around. But the $2.3 billion measure – literally years in the works, and finally approved last week – was worth going the distance… To be sure, Corbett deserves credit for doggedly pursuing a deal amid opposition from many Republican House members, and he was helped by the valuable jawboning of Senate GOP leaders. Whether he was displaying pieces of crumbling bridges or smartly allying with his predecessors, Corbett saw to it that the intraparty conflicts in this road movie were resolved in the state’s best interests. (Long, strange trip for road bill. Philadelphia Inquirer. 11/24/2013.)
Corbett signs $2.3B Pa. transportation bill
Gov. Tom Corbett has signed into law a bill that will provide $2.3 billion a year for improvements to Pennsylvania’s highways, bridges and mass-transit systems. In shivering temperatures, Corbett appeared Monday morning before dozens of local and state officials at a ceremony in the parking lot of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Spring Mills, along busy state Route 322, just outside State College The Republican governor praised lawmakers for last week’s bipartisan vote to approve the measure. He said there is “barely a spot in Pennsylvania” that will not benefit from the additional money that will be generated by higher gas taxes and motorist fees.The governor and his entourage were flying to similar bill-signing events in the Philadelphia suburbs and Pittsburgh later in the day. (Corbett signs $2.3B Pa. transportation bill. AP. 11/25/2013.)
Corbett: Transportation is a “matter of safety, of our livelihoods, of our economic competitiveness with other states, and frankly with other countries, and is matter of our overall quality of life.”
“A reliable transportation system is not a matter of personal convenience,” Corbett told reporters after an unrelated news conference in his Capitol offices. “It is a matter of safety, of our livelihoods, of our economic competitiveness with other states, and frankly with other countries, and is matter of our overall quality of life.” Corbett warned that, without new funding, more highway jobs will be lost because state transportation dollars are shrinking. And he echoed the warnings of supportive legislators who say the chances of the bill’s passing diminish, the closer next year’s election gets because it carries a hefty tax and fee increase that might not be publicly popular. (Levy, Marc. Corbett appeals anew for Pa. transportation bill AP. 10/25/2013.)
PA Chamber, business and labor groups call for passage of transportation funding bill
PA Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Sam Denisco said business and labor groups joined forces in a show of unified support for the importance of a properly funded transportation system to commerce, safety and overall economic growth. “Pennsylvania faces a significant funding gap between what is needed to meet its transportation infrastructure needs and what is available. There are many negative consequences of failing to close that gap, particularly with regard to efficient commerce.” (Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, 8/29/2013)
PMA: Save infrastructure critical to our economy
The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association and other statewide business groups have long supported an increase in transportation funding, citing the critical importance of an efficient and safe infrastructure to our economy.(Pennsylvania Manufacturer’s Association. Governor Corbett Urges Lawmakers on Transportation Funding. 11/5/2013.)
###