Pennsylvania House panel approves local funding flexibility for bridges

The Pennsylvania Legislature has taken another step to ensure local funding flexibility for county and municipal bridges.

State law appropriates Pennsylvania motor license fund money for the construction and repair of county bridges.

For much of the past decade, the state has appropriated $5 million annually out of the motor license fund for county bridges.

Some state lawmakers say current guidance for how the money is spent specifically references public bridges for which a county is legally responsible.

Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Mechanicsburg, added that while the funds are used to repair county-owned bridges, current spending guidance fails to note how the funds could be used for bridges owned by municipalities.

He previously said that as a result, municipal bridges suffer and go without repair while remaining funds go unused due to “ambiguous guidance.”

Eliminating funding barrier for local bridges

The House Transportation Committee voted 15-9 to advance a Senate-approved bill that would expand how counties can use transportation funds. Specifically, SB799 would explicitly allow state funds to be used for county and municipal bridge projects.

Committee Chairman Ed Nielson, D-Philadelphia, amended the bill in committee to clarify that the city of Philadelphia is considered a county. The change would make more money available for Philadelphia bridges.

He pointed out in this change that the statute considers the city and county of Philadelphia as the same legal entity.

Nielson also noted the city of Philadelphia owns 158 bridges and that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation considers 157 bridges not eligible for the funding because they are owned by the city and not the county.

“However, everybody in the capitol and everybody in the state of Pennsylvania knows the city of Philadelphia and the county of Philadelphia are the same legal entity,” Nielson said.

“There are 157 bridges owned by Philadelphia that are actually county-owned bridges and should be eligible for this program,” he added.

Rothman previously stated that maintaining safe roads and bridges is a core function of government. He said that the legislation “removes regulatory barriers and gives counties the flexibility they need to make much-needed repairs to both county-owned and municipal-owned bridges.”

The bill awaits further consideration in the House. If approved there, SB799 would head back to the Senate for approval of changes before it could move to the governor’s desk. LL

More Land Line coverage of news from Pennsylvania.