YORK, Pa. — For Pennsylvanians, deplorable road conditions are taking a toll on drivers. They are fed up with rough, bumpy and miserable commutes.
"I’ve popped at least two tires over potholes and it just makes the overall drive and comfort much worse," said Samuel Marquartt, an frequent driver in the York area.
On Friday, Congress greenlighted President Biden's $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill in a 228-206 vote. It's an indication that help is on the way for Pennsylvanians.
"This comprehensive package will provide critical federal funding to Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, support economic growth throughout the Commonwealth, and provide stable, good-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians," said Governor Tom Wolf in a statement.
Pennsylvania is expected to receive $11.6 billion in federal aid for highway apportioned programs and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs.
"Getting a federal bill of this size or any significant increase in federal funding like this is huge for transportation. We haven't seen that since the early 90's," said PennDOT's Alexis Campbell.
Additional funding for Pennsylvania includes:
- $1.4 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure and ensure clean, safe drinking water throughout the commonwealth.
- $2.8 billion over the next five years to improve public transportation options.
- $49 million over five years to protect against wildfires
- $26 million to protect against cyber-attacks.
- $355 million for airport infrastructure improvements over the next five years.
- At least $100 million to help broadband coverage across the commonwealth as there are at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack coverage.
- $171 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network across the commonwealth.
As of November 9th, the infrastructure bill still awaits President Biden's signature.