Tom Warne Report, 13 July 2012
Land Line Magazine – July 11, 2012
A newly signed law in Pennsylvania by Governor Tom Corbett gives the state the ability to sign deals with private partners who would perform road work in exchange for toll tax revenue. The new law, called Act 88, outlines the framework for deals with private groups to pay for transportation work. The governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission recommended in a report last August that the state authorize public-private partnerships to complete transportation projects and obtain the authority to toll existing interstates.
Rep. Rick Geist, D-Altoona, who proposed the bill, said it is a vital step in progressing the state’s infrastructure. “This act opens a new chapter in the way Pennsylvania can fund projects designed to repair and replace our structurally deficient roads and bridges with cooperation, financial resources and efficiencies of the private sector,” Geist said in a statement. Pennsylvania has a $3.5 billion annual shortfall in transportation funding, and that number is expected to triple to $10.7 billion by 2030.
Such deals can be made for any existing roads, including I-95, although the Pennsylvania Turnpike is except from private businesses. A deal to lease the Turnpike must be approved by state lawmakers. The new law requires the creation of a seven-member board to review toll proposals, and the board must include four lawmakers.