PRINTER'S NO. 2448
No. 362 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY BALDWIN, GEIST, McCALL, BARD, DERMODY, J. EVANS,
FAIRCHILD, FORCIER, HARPER, HESS, LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, MAHER,
MARSICO, McGILL, MELIO, PETRARCA, ROBERTS, RUFFING, SANTONI,
SAYLOR, STAIRS, WASHINGTON, WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI AND
CAPPELLI, JULY 17, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JULY 17, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Department of Transportation to study project
2 delivery.
3 WHEREAS, The recent Road Information Program Study found that
4 Pennsylvania has the third-highest percentage of structurally
5 deficient bridges in the country, behind only Oklahoma and Rhode
6 Island; and
7 WHEREAS, Despite a marked improvement in Pennsylvania and
8 other states after a decade of increased government spending in
9 which the number of bridges considered deficient has declined
10 18% from 1992 to 2002, from 199,090 to 163,010, according to
11 Federal Highway Administration data more than a quarter of the
12 nation's bridges are deficient, need repairs, cannot adequately
13 handle traffic loads or do not meet safety standards; and
14 WHEREAS, One in four bridges in this Commonwealth is in need
15 of immediate repair or replacement because of deterioration or
16 no longer meeting current design standards, and the cost of
1 repairing all bridges in this Commonwealth is $4.9 billion; and
2 WHEREAS, A recent study of Pennsylvania's bridges for the
3 Transportation Advisory Committee found that the single greatest
4 time factor in completion of bridge rehabilitation projects is
5 environmental and other permit approvals, taking an average of
6 eight years per project versus two years for design and less
7 than a year for construction; and
8 WHEREAS, A February 2002 report, "Streamlining PENNDOT's
9 Project Delivery Process," identified several benefits of
10 advancing project permit streamlining initiatives, including
11 faster delivery of projects resulting in improved safety and
12 saving human lives, cost savings that allow for additional
13 projects to proceed and good stewardship of public money as well
14 as improved environmental benefits as PENNDOT and resource
15 agency partners interface more efficiently and effectively; and
16 WHEREAS, On behalf of Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a conference
17 was held May 25, 2003, to serve as a forum for the exchange of
18 ideas and actions to enhance the economic vitality of this
19 Commonwealth while encouraging responsible, sustainable growth,
20 and among the recommendations of the conference were to "develop
21 and improve Statewide interagency policies on transportation,
22 land use and the environment"; therefore be it
23 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
24 Department of Transportation to study the problem of project
25 delivery when it comes to major construction projects such as
26 bridges and culverts; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the department meet with appropriate Federal
28 and State agencies to explore methods to expedite projects while
29 accomplishing environmental and historic reviews in timely
30 fashion; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That the department submit, to the Transportation
2 Committee of the House of Representatives, recommendations for
3 streamlining projects prior to completion of the coming update
4 of the 12-year Transportation Improvement Program and that the
5 recommendations include draft legislation and plans for
6 interagency cooperation.
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