Three Times A Charm: Road K(B)ill Brought Back to Life

In a remarkable reversal, the House Assembly passed the same transportation funding bill they had voted down just 24 hours earlier. Representative Micozzie's version of the bill passed last night 104-95 providing an additional $2.3 billion annually for transportation.

You can read all about the drama at Philly.com, Morning Call , CBS3, AP and AP and Politics PA.

The bill goes to the Senate today, another House vote tomorrow and, barring any further setbacks, could be signed by the Governor by the end of the week.

We thank our area legislators who voted Yes on this bill. It was a tough vote and we are grateful to those who chose to support a comprehensive transportation funding bill for Pennsylvania's future. This bill provides $490 million that SEPTA desperately needs, recognizes biking and walking as a mode of transportation and creates a multi-modal fund with dedicated funding for biking and walking.

Given how many run-ups there were to potential votes over the last six months, we probably sent out more calls to action on this issue than any other in our history. Thanks to all of you who responded to the many action alerts in your inbox! Bicyclists were among the most vocal supporters of this bill. That helped get the bill passed -- and earned the gratitude of the people who will now be deciding how best to spend our new transportation dollars. Thank you!

To look up who your House Rep is, click here.

Full roll call of the 11/19 vote is here.

Democrats	County	11/19 vote	Republicans	County	11/19 Vote
Bishop, Louise Williams	Philadelphia	No vote	Adolph, William	Delaware	Yes
Boyle, Brendan	Montgomery	Yes	Barrar, Stephen	Delaware	No
Boyle, Kevin	Philadelphia	Yes	Clymer, Paul	Bucks	Yes
Bradford, Matthew	Montgomery	No	Corbin, Becky	Chester	Yes
Briggs, Tim	Montgomery	Yes	DiGirolamo, Gene	Bucks	No
Brown, Vanessa	Philadelphia	Yes	Farry, Frank	Bucks	Yes
Brownlee, Michelle	Philadelphia	Yes	Godshall, Robert	Montgomery	Yes
Clay, James W.	Philadelphia	Yes	Hackett, Joseph	Delaware	Yes
Cohen, Mark	Philadelphia	Yes	Harper, Kate	Montgomery	Yes
Cruz, Angel	Philadelphia	Yes	Hennessey, Tim	Chester	Yes
Daley, Mary Jo	Montgomery	No	Kampf, Warren	Chester	No
Davidson, Margo	Delaware	Yes	Killion, Thomas	Delaware	Yes
Davis, Tina	Bucks	No	Lawrence, John	Chester	No
Dean, Madeline	Montgomery	No	Miccarelli, Nick	Delaware	Yes
DeLissio, Pam	Philadelphia	Yes	Micozzie, Nicholas	Delaware	Yes
Donnatucci, Maria	Delaware	Yes	Milne, Duane	Chester	Yes
Evans, Dwight	Philadelphia	Yes	Murt, Thomas	Montgomery	Yes
Galloway, John	Bucks	Yes	O'Neill, Bernie	Bucks	Yes
Harris, Jordan	Philadelphia	Yes	Petri, Scott	Bucks	No vote
Keller, William	Philadelphia	Yes	Quinn, Marguerite	Bucks	Yes
Kinsey, Stephen	Philadelphia	Yes	Ross, Chris	Chester	Yes
Kirkland, Thaddeus	Delaware	Yes	Stephens, Todd	Montgomery	Yes
McCarter, Steve	Phila/Montco	No	Toepel, Marcy	Montgomery	Yes
McGeehan, Michael P.	Philadelphia	Yes	Truitt, Dan	Chester	No
Miranda, J.P.	Philadelphia	Yes	Vereb, Michael	Montgomery	Yes
Neilson, Ed	Philadelphia	Yes	Watson, Katharine	Bucks	Yes
O'Brien, Michael	Philadelphia	Yes
Painter, Mark	Montgomery	No
Parker, Cherelle	Philadelphia	Yes
Roebuck, James	Philadelphia	Yes
Sabatina, Jr., John	Philadelphia	No
Santarsiero, Steve	Bucks	No
Sims, Brian	Philadelphia	Yes
Thomas, Curtis	Philadelphia	Yes
Vitali, Greg	Delaware	Yes
Waters, Ronald	Delaware	Yes
Youngblood, Rosita	Philadelphia	Yes

PA Voting on Transportation Today - Speak Up For Biking, Walking, and Transit!

After more than a year of negotiation, stalling, and jockeying, the House Assembly is going to vote this week on a transportation bill, paving the way for the Senate to follow up and the Governor to sign a bill. The final product of this week's votes will determine if bicycling, walking, and public transit are part of Pennsylvania's future, or tossed out the back door like mopwater.

A metaphorical representation of PA transportation
without a proper funding bill.

The PA House is expected to consider, as soon as this afternoon, an amendment to HB 106 sponsored by Representative Micozzie (R-163). This amendment will create a $2.3 billion transportation funding bill that repairs our bridges, provides for public transit statewide, and for the first time ever recognizes and funds bicycling and walking.

It will be all too easy to strip bicycling and walking out of the bill as "frivolous expenditures nobody wants." House Assembly members need to hear from you that safe walking and biking are important. Tell your Representative to vote YES on Rep. Micozzie's amendment.

In the 21st century, transportation does not begin and end with highways. We need a comprehensive transportation bill that makes bicycling and walking in Pennsylvania safer and more accessible. Funding does that, and this is our best chance to get bicycling and walking respected and acknowledged in our state's transportation funding. The House may vote on Rep. Micozzie's amendment to HB106 as soon as this afternoon; e-mail or call your House Representative today and tell them to vote for the amendment!

Thank you for speaking up for biking and walking!

p.s If you want to call your legislator - use this handy site to find his/her contact information

Harrisburg Update: Vote is Delayed but Some Consensus is Emerging

Regular readers of our blog know that we've been heavily involved in the Harrisburg debate around a transportation bill. Several times we've thought the state legislature was close to a vote, only to have the vote pushed back.

The latest news that emerged yesterday is both good and bad: the four legislative caucuses are actively negotiating (which is progress), but this means that no vote will happen before mid-November (another delay).

Your grandparents remind you to wipe your feet on the mat
and call your state representatives

Another delay is worrisome. However, while a very contentious issue (prevailing wage) is preventing a vote this week, at least the major players are at the table negotiating. Setting aside prevailing wage, we are encouraged that a consensus is emerging around the minimum level of funding required for an acceptable bill, and we think that that funding will include a dedicated fund for biking and walking. We are also optimistic that SEPTA will get an amount of money it can live with.

Thank you to the hundreds of people who have already contacted their PA State Reps about the importance to Pennsylvania's future of a well-funded, multi-modal (ie, all types of transportation, not just highways) transportation system. Like grandparents' advice, such sentiments can always be repeated. So we encourage you to contact your PA elected officials and remind them that a comprehensive transportation funding package is important for the entire commonwealth, and that transportation means trains, bikes, and sidewalks too.

Harrisburg Fails On Transportation - And Where We Go Next

Political gridlock brings out
the color in Oliver's cheeks

It was quite the dramatic weekend in Harrisburg as legislative leaders wrangled about the state budget, transportation funding, liquor privatization, and public education. In the end, the state budget passed on time, but transportation funding was pushed back until the fall.

A Recap
So, what happened this weekend? We rallied to support the Senate transportation funding bill (Senate Bill 1) with other organizations like PA Walks and Bikes, Mission Readiness, the American Heart Association, and the 200+ organizations that comprise the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition.

The Senate's bill included a robust multi-modal fund that adequately funded all modes of transportation. The House version was $300-$500 million below the Senate-passed version and threatened this multi-modal approach to transportation funding - including significantly less funds for bicycles, pedestrians, and public transportation.

In the end, the House could not generate the number of bi-partisan votes necessary to pass its own version of Senate Bill 1. Clearly, the transportation bill feel victim to the rural versus urban divide that defines Pennsylvania politics.

Silver Linings

Although we didn't get the bill we wanted, we accomplished a tremendous amount in this effort. Look how far we came:

Active Transportation is Gaining Traction in Harrisburg Funding Debate

For the past several months, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and PA Walks and Bikes have been participating in the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition's effort to gain support and momentum for a new state transportation funding bill.

Our asks have been straightforward:

1. Pass a comprehensive transportation funding bill this year.
2. Create a bicycle/pedestrian program or office within PennDOT.
3. Make active transportation central to the proposed "multi-modal" fund and ensure that biking and walking projects can be funded.
4. Eliminate the #1 policy hurdle (the Bicycle Occupancy Permit) that prevents the installation of bike lanes on state roads outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. 

In partnership with Mission Readiness, the American Heart Association, Urban Engineers and many others, we have been visiting state senators and representatives from Southeast PA (at least eleven), developing position papers, getting letters to the editors placed in various media outlets (Inquirer, Daily News, Pottstown Mercury News, Bucks County Courier Times, Doylestown Intelligencer, and Delco Times), and created an action alert that has generated 250 letters to 76 elected state representatives and the Governor.

In late March, a sign-on letter (see below) we helped Mission Readiness with was delivered to the Assembly urging them to make biking and walking part of the proposed multi-modal fund and to establish a PennDOT office or full-time position to address bicycle/pedestrian issues.

All of this advocacy is beginning to pay off.