Associated PA Constructors: Transportation funding is a safety issue

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A trade association for the highway construction industry warned that public safety could be severely compromised unless the General Assembly approves a transportation funding measure soon.

"As the discussion has turned toward the condition of Pennsylvania's bridges and the inconvenience caused by newly imposed weight restrictions, public safety issues have taken a back seat," said Robert Latham, executive vice president of Associated Pennsylvania Constructors.  "But poor road conditions, along with lengthy detours, both contribute to a diminishing level of public safety."

Latham cited a study by the Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation, which concluded that roadway condition is a contributing factor in more than half of nearly 42,000 deaths that result from motor vehicle crashes each year.  The study said it is "the single most lethal contributing factor – greater than speeding, alcohol or non-use of seat belts."

The study said that poor conditions, along with congestion caused by insufficient roadway capacity, contribute to both the frequency and severity of motor vehicle accidents.  Of more than 5 million crashes analyzed in the study, roadway conditions were a contributing factor in nearly a third.

In addition to injuries and loss of life, crashes caused by poor roadway conditions cost the U.S. economy more than $217 billion per year, more than 3 ½ times the amount spent on highway construction at all levels of government, the study said. 

It appears that the Pennsylvania House will take up a $2.4 billion funding issue this week.  If it approves a funding measure, the bill could then return to the Senate for concurrence.  The Senate approved a $2.5 billion measure 45 to 5 earlier this year.

"Our research shows that a majority of Pennsylvanians are willing to make a modest investment for a safer, less congested transportation system," Latham said.  "The measures being discussed in the General Assembly represent a cost of about $2.50 per week for a typical motorist.  It's a small price to pay, especially when you consider the public safety benefits."

Associated Pennsylvania Constructors includes more than 400 members, including prime and subcontractors, consulting engineers, material suppliers, manufacturers, and others with an interest in Pennsylvania's road and bridge construction industry. 

SOURCE Associated Pennsylvania Constructors