(Photo: elatlboy / Flickr)Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett on Monday signed a five-year transportation funding bill for the state.
The legislation is expected to generate an additional $242 million in fiscal year 2013, and it will add $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion in the fifth year, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The Post-Gazette reports that the legislation makes the following changes, among others, to raise revenue:
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The legislation repeals the 12-cent-per-gallon gas tax paid at the pump, replacing it with a wholesale oil fee. According to the Post-Gazette report, “The formula is complicated but will result in a net increase in the state gasoline tax of 9.5 cents per gallon starting Jan. 1; another 9.7 cents for 2015; and at least 8 cents for 2017.”
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Registration and driver’s license fees could rise $2 and $1.50, respectively, on July 1, 2015. The actual increase will be determined by inflation.
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Beginning in 2015, counties will be able to levy a $5 annual registration fee on vehicles registered to addresses within the county. The revenues would be used for local highway and bridge projects.
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Starting April 1, the fee for a replacement driver’s license will increase from $5 to $19
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Also effective April 1, the fee for issuance of a certificate of title will rise from $22.50 to $50.
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The fine for failure to obey traffic control devices will increase from $25 to $150 beginning January 1. A good portion of the additional revenue will be used for public transit.
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Also starting January 1, the fines for seven types of traffic violations, including speeding, will rise 50 percent.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) notes that Pennsylvania is the seventh state this year in which its governor and state legislators have worked “together to generate significant new revenues that will deliver important new transportation infrastructure improvements.”
The other states that have taken similar action in 2013 are Wyoming, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas.
Additionally, U.S. voters approved 91 percent of ballot measures to increase or extend funding for transportation and elected two transportation advocates as governor during the November 5 elections.
