Dive Brief:

• Pennsylvania's State Transportation Commission (STC) this month launched a new 12-year plan, which aims to spend $63.9 billion updating the state's infrastructure during three four-year periods.
• In the first three years, the plan would make approximately $12 billion available for highway and bridge, freight rail and multimodal projects, DC velocity reports. The funding would come from federal, state and local sources.
• The plan is still awaiting approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). In addition, agencies will review the plan with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before it goes into effect.

Dive Insight:

In 2013, Pennsylvania passed its most comprehensive piece of transportation legislation in decades.

Known as Act 89, the legislation promised $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion in the first five years, including $1.5 billion for roads and bridges, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). This plan is the outcome of a collaborative effort between the PennDot, the STC, its "Planning Partners" and the public. By law, it must be updated every two years. 

In addition to the $12 billion over the first three years, the most recent update, which will take effect on Oct. 1, calls for $348 million for multimodal and $229 million for freight rail from 2023-2026, and $391 million for multimodal and another $229 million for freight rail from 2027-2030. Additional funds will also be spent on public transportation, highways and bridges and aviation.

“Planning for the many transportation modes associated with Pennsylvania’s immense transportation system impacts every resident, business, and visitor of the Commonwealth," wrote Leslie S. Richards, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Chairperson, State Transportation Commission, in the report introducing the plan. "Together, we will continue to find solutions to sustain and expand mobility throughout the Commonwealth today, and well into the future." 

The report noted the public’s top three priorities were road pavement, traffic flow and bridges. All three, of course, also concern supply chain ground transportation. Among the projects listed in the plan are improvements to many of the major highways in the state, including Harrisburg ($668 million) and Pittsburgh ($320 million).

A complete list of projects can be found in the STC report.