Members of the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition, representing multimodal transportation system users in Pennsylvania, visited the Capitol this week to apprise legislators of the importance and the urgency of addressing the state’s funding dilemma.  Doing so, they said, would result in a safer, less congested transportation system and the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs. 

Jack Machek, President and CEO of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, called transportation funding both a core issue and a core responsibility.  The state receives an immediate return on its investment, private investments can be leveraged, and living wage Pennsylvanian jobs that cannot be outsourced will be created, he said. 

"Not all the news is dire," Machek commented, however.  PennDOT has made strides and Allegheny County has saved over $50 million since Act 44 was passed, he said.  Pennsylvania leads the nation in efficient spending of federal stimulus dollars.  He noted that the proposed funding plan would save on future maintenance costs.  "The more the system decays, the more it costs to repain," he said.  "Let's act now." Machek emphasized.

The complete press release can be clicked on below. 

To view video highlights from the coalition’s news conference: