September 12, 2006

Comments: Court Gould , Executive Director Sustainable Pittsburgh

Governors’ Transportation Funding and Reform Commission

In response to civic concern for the transportation funding crisis, earlier this year, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Transportation Funding Initiative was launched to invite the public to send a message to the Governor and legislature regarding the necessity of a long-term funding solution.  I’m pleased to convey this message on behalf of the 480 formal Transportation Funding Initiative endorsers.  They are comprised of a diverse mix of organizations, businesses, and individuals who urge determination of a predictable and reliable source of funding to maintain and expand the Commonwealth’s transportation system per the following guidelines:

• Utilize a Fix It First strategy, per the Keystone Principles For Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation, to address the current backlog of highway and bridge repair projects identified in the current and proposed PENNDOT Twelve Year Programs and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Funds should be available to support all users;
• Develop a permanent and reliable source of funding for public transportation in urban, suburban, and rural areas
• Support and expand funding for programs that achieve community redevelopment and sustainable development objectives to bring local infrastructure to a state of good repair per the Keystone Principles.

Sustainable Pittsburgh endorses these guidelines and emphasizes that transportation funding solutions should be conditioned upon and leveraged to ensure state and regional commitment to address the following companion needs:

• Increased public transportation system operation efficiencies and effectiveness.

• Reforms in the way regions plan and program integrated multi-modal and inter-modal transportation systems so to be modernized and coordinated with land use planning and economic development investments being congressional earmarks

• Enhanced authority at the regional and local levels to fund transit operations.

• Enhanced local commitment to provide match funds to state and federal transportation resources.

• Right-sizing the public transportation system for the 10-county region drawing for example on the recently released “A Regional Strategic Vision for Public Transportation Serving Southwestern Pennsylvania” – an ambitious vision for the future of transit that would support growth and connect people to recreation, economic and employment centers.

As to specific funding sources, the complexity of revenue raising proposals from among such options as sales, income and realty taxes, gasoline taxes, road tolls, vehicle registration, license and rental fees and/or bus and trolley fares is daunting.  The Governor and the General Assembly have the final responsibility to analyze these options and determine the optimal solution.  Both of these branches of our government should give serious consideration to the revenue-raising recommendations which the Commission will make, as well as the recommendations as the Transportation Funding Initiative guidelines.

Regardless, the nearly 500 endorsers of the Transportation Funding Initiative urge that a failure to act on funding and reforms will be a significant detriment to the economy, the environment, and social equity.  And while seemingly prudent, short-term fixes ironically end up costing public transportation agencies more.

Without action by the Governor and General Assembly during this critical window by the end of 2006, fewer miles of roads will be resurfaced, the state’s bridge crisis will grow worse, necessary roads will not be built, and transit systems will face significant service cuts and fare increases.  Indeed our economic future and competitiveness will be jeopardized since effective transportation systems are the lifeblood of prosperous economies and our region as a whole.

I’m submitting a list of the Transportation Funding Initiative endorsers and participants.  Please go to:  http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/TFI to also seethe testimonials penned by these concerned community leaders.