Governor seeks overhaul of Pa.’s highway funding

HARRISBURG >> Amid a deepening stalemate over financing highways and public transit, Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday proposed phasing out Pennsylvania’s gasoline tax, the secondhighest in the nation, and appointed a commission to recommend alternative ways to pay for the state’s needs.

Wolf ordered a commission of several dozen lawmakers, transportation industry representatives, transportation planners, government officials and others to deliver recommendations by Aug. 1 of funding alternatives to foot the extra billions of dollars deemed to be necessary.

“Our economy, our communities, and our future rely on a strong transportation system that supports our safety and growth,” Wolf said in a statement.

The gas tax that Wolf calls “burdensome” isn’t keeping pace with transportation and safety needs as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and more motorists buy electric vehicles, state officials say.

States are seeing stagnant revenue from gasoline taxes, the major source of cash for highway construction, and are increasingly experimenting with user fees.

PennDOT has said its current highway and bridge budget for construction and maintenance is about $6.9 billion per year, less than half of the $15 billion that is needed to keep Pennsylvania’s highways and bridges in good condition and ease major traffic bottlenecks.

To raise about $2 billion over the next few years, PennDOT is seeking to add tolls to nine major bridges on interstates around the state to finance reconstruction projects, drawing objections from Republican lawmakers.