The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD) announced today that they support efforts in the General Assembly to pass a transportation infrastructure funding bill this fall. An announcement was made yesterday by Pennsylvania Senator Jake Corman to introduce a package of bills that reflect the recommendations of the Governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC).
On October 5, 2011, the Executive Committees of the ACCD and the GPCC held a joint meeting in Pittsburgh to identify shared public policy goals and to create a common agenda for increasing the Commonwealth’s competitiveness. Both organizations identified investment in Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure as an immediate priority and expressed strong support for the recommendations outlined in the Governor’s TFAC report. ACCD CEO Dennis Yablonsky and GPCC President and CEO Rob Wonderling both served on the commission.
The decline of the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure is a problem that the business community in Southwestern and Southeastern Pennsylvania believes should be dealt with immediately, the organizations said. They also affirmed support for a robust transit network that helps drive both Pittsburgh’s and Philadelphia’s economic activity.
GPCC President and CEO Rob Wonderling applauded Senator Corman for taking this important legislative step. “A safe, reliable, and multi-modal transportation network is vital to a strong economy and provides a key competitive advantage for attracting and retaining businesses and growing jobs. For our region and state to emerge from this economic downturn ready to compete on a global scale, our infrastructure needs cannot be ignored or delayed further.”
ACCD CEO Dennis Yablonsky added: “The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission made a thoughtful study of the transportation and transit funding situation and brought forward a viable plan that will move the Commonwealth forward. We cannot afford to wait. The time to act is now.”
Funding transportation investments through a series of user fees and money-saving reforms, as the Commission recommends, is particularly important as the economy struggles to recover.
Transportation funding creates jobs, with engineering and design jobs immediately, leading to both construction jobs and manufacturing jobs throughout the construction supply chain.
At the end of a project, there is a transportation improvement that improves the economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth and leads to economic growth and more jobs.
Robust transit networks, particularly in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, will help drive the metro regions that provide most of the Commonwealth’s economic activity.
