Media & Public Relations

PA Turnpike's Transportation Funding Payments
Today Reach $1.6 Billion Mark

Act 44 funds have improved 855 miles of state highway,
389 bridges to date.

HARRISBURG, PA (04/29/2009; 1338)(readMedia)-- Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials this afternoon transmitted a payment of $212.5 million - generated entirely by tolls on the Turnpike system and the sale of revenue bonds - to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, bringing the commission's total Act 44 infusion to $1.6 billion over the last 21 months.

With the payment - the final quarterly installment toward the commission's fiscal year 2009 obligation of $850 million - the Turnpike continues to fulfill its yearly responsibility to help address a funding deficit affecting Pennsylvania's highways, bridges and public-transportation systems (it provided $750 million in Act 44 funds to the state the prior fiscal year).

"It's remarkable that, in less than two years of Act 44, we've supplied more transportation funding for Pennsylvania than the federal stimulus-bill allocation has provided," said Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier. "I don't think that such a claim can be made by another state out there, especially considering that the Act 44 funds are being delivered without having to increase gas taxes."

From today's payment, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department will transfer $125 million to the Motor License Fund for road and bridge work while the remaining $87.5 million will go to the Public Transportation Trust Fund and the commonwealth's 73 transit agencies.

"Act 44 funds are an important part of our revenue stream that allow us to meet our goals for maintaining Pennsylvania's highways and bridges," said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. "These funds also support public transit in Pennsylvania."

According to its latest estimates, PennDOT has improved 855 miles of state highway and preserved, rehabilitated, or replaced 389 state-owned bridges with the funds it received thus far via Act 44.

The Turnpike's fiscal year 2010 commitment under Act 44 is $900 million. Quarterly payments of $225 million will be made in July and October this calendar year as well as January and April 2010. Of the $900 million, $500 million will be dedicated to road and bridge projects with the remaining $400 million to aid the state's transit agencies.

In just the first year (fiscal 2007-08) under Act 44, the commission supplied $450 million for roadway and bridge projects across Pennsylvania. Today, much of that money is at work on 373 infrastructure-improvement projects statewide. In fact, year-one funds provided through Act 44 to roadway and bridge projects in major metropolitan counties were: Allegheny County, $43 million; Berks County, $10.1 million; Blair County, $3.7 million; Dauphin County, $6.2 million; Erie County, $6.9 million; Lackawanna County, $4.5 million; Lancaster County, $10.5 million; Lehigh County, $2 million; Northampton County, $10.4 million; and Philadelphia County, $15 million.

Projects in metropolitan counties weren't the only Act 44 beneficiaries; projects in all Pennsylvania counties, including the following northern-tier counties, received Act 44 highway and bridge funds in fiscal year 2007-08: Clearfield County, $22.2 million; Lycoming County, $11.5 million; Mercer County, $4.2 million; Monroe County, $5.1 million; and Tioga County, $2.3 million. For a complete map listing Act 44 funding in each county, visit http://www.paturnpike.com.

Act 44 was signed into law in July 2007 to address Pennsylvania's transportation-funding shortfall. Since the initial Act 44 payment was made in August 2007, the Turnpike has provided $950 million to PennDOT for roadway and bridge projects and $650 million for mass-transit operations and capital programs. For more information, visit www.paturnpike.com.

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