The Transportation Revenue Options Commission (TROC) submitted its final report to Gov. Tom Wolf last Friday. The proposal aims to address the transportation funding challenge facing the commonwealth now and into the future. The final report offers a variety of options for the governor and legislature to consider funding future shortfalls in transportation funding.  

PSATS Executive Director Dave Sanko was on the commission representing municipal governments, which are responsible for nearly two thirds of the linear road miles in Pennsylvania. The inclusion of local government in the final report was a hard-fought addition as it was not part of the governor’s executive order.  

The current identified $3.9 billion local transportation funding shortfall is expected to grow to more than $5 billion in the next 10 years. The report calls for local governments to share in new or replacement gas tax revenue options including 14% of any Mileage based fee.  To account for long distances travelled in rural areas, this mileage fee is to be partnered with a congestion fee for shorter, but time-consuming, trips in more urbanized areas. Other revenue options you may not see reported include doubling registration fees as well as an increase in the gas tax before it begins to be phased out. Lots of controversial proposals for the legislature to consider in addition to their own ideas, but all can agree that Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges are in need of new funding for improvements. Cost saving measures like prevailing wage reform were rejected for inclusion. Click here to view the TROC final report.