| abstract
| - Some transportation leaders say they aren't willing to let Gov. Ed Rendell use federal highway money again to bail out the cash-strapped Port Authority of Allegheny County. "I don't think the votes are there -- I don't think even if the Pope called, the votes would be there," said Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns, chairman of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Commission members anticipate Rendell will try to tap federal highway money to help the Port Authority. He hinted as much earlier this month in a meeting with a Harrisburg newspaper. The commission must approve any diversion of highway money to transit, a maneuver know as a "flex." The commission and PennDOT decide how to spend highway, bridge and transit money in the 10-county region. The Port Authority wants lawmakers to provide a better funding stream to help with a $31.5 million deficit in 2007. The agency expects to run out of money in January. Rendell told the Patriot-News he would be willing to divert federal highway money "possibly for a month or two, here or there" to help the Port Authority and other transit agencies. He offered no additional details. Rendell's Transportation Funding and Reform Commission is expected to issue a report Nov. 15 identifying statewide transportation problems and possible solutions. "As you know, it is too soon to say what will come of the Transportation Funding Commission, but as the governor says here, he hopes not to have to flex more money," Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said in an e-mail response. She did not return repeated follow-up telephone messages. Beaver County Commissioner Charles Camp said his county lost between $9 million and $14 million in highway and bridge money in 2005 when Rendell diverted $412 million to prevent fare hikes and route cuts at the Port Authority and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia. "We're expecting it to happen again," Camp said. "Until the Legislature gets off their butts and resolves the funding stream problem we're going to be faced with this crisis again," said Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Balya, a commission member. If Rendell proposes diverting highway funds, there will be pressure on fellow Democrats to approve it, Balya said. There is pressure locally to keep hard-to-get highway and bridge dollars. The diversion would involve spending money intended to pay for patching potholes, fixing bridges and paving highways instead to create a Band-Aid fix for mass transit agencies. Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove said he is unaware of a plan to bail out the agency. Butler County Commissioner Jim Kennedy, an SPC member, said the governor only would be robbing highway projects of money by giving it to transit agencies. "I don't think you're going to find members there willing to flex dollars again," he said.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)