(HARRISBURG) – State Senator Devlin Robinson (R-37) this week continued his call for better alternatives to funding the state transportation needs than tolling nine Pennsylvania bridges including one on I-79 in Bridgeville.
“We should not saddle our local commuters with the costs of funding the statewide transportation systems,” Senator Robinson said. “They did this in the dark of night with no public input or no notice to the General Assembly. There’s nothing that says that the money collected in Bridgeville wouldn’t be redistributed throughout the state.”
Robinson participated in a news conference showcasing how federal financing is a better alternative than PennDOT’s Public-Private Transportation Partnership (P3) program to toll nine bridges on the interstate system.
The DRIVE SMART Act, Delivering Reforms and Investments for Vehicle Efficiency and Supporting Motor carriers, Airports, Rails & trails and Transit agencies is sponsored by Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr. (R-35). The DRIVE SMART Act is a comprehensive proposal to reform and invest in the Keystone State’s aging infrastructure.
Robinson has been a vocal opponent of the P3 tolling plan which PennDOT authorized without providing details or seeking approval from the General Assembly. He co-sponsored and voted to approve Senate Bill 382, which reforms the P3 statute and voids the PennDOT plan to toll:
- I-78 Lenhartsville Bridge Replacement Project in Berks County;
- I-79 Widening, Bridges and Bridgeville Interchange Reconfiguration in Allegheny County;
- I-80 Canoe Creek Bridges in Clarion County;
- I-80 Nescopeck Creek Bridges in Luzerne County;
- I-80 North Fork Bridges Project in Jefferson County;
- I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project in Luzerne and Carbon counties;
- I-81 Susquehanna Project in Susquehanna County;
- I-83 South Bridge Project in Dauphin County; and
- I-95 Girard Point Improvement Bridge Project in Philadelphia County.
“We need the House to pass this legislation so we can rein in the P3 board and bring the legislation into the process of raising the funds needed for these projects throughout the Commonwealth,” Robinson said.
PennDOT continues to move forward with imposing a new toll on the bridges, unless there is support in the state House of Representatives to pass the bill.
WATCH: https://pasen.wistia.com/medias/ovqrm64f2q
Contact: Elizabeth Weitzel