Dwight Evans: What Biden’s infrastructure bill means for Pennsylvania NOV 10, 2021

President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will pump billions into Pennsylvania.

Driving the news: The House passed the legislation Friday night, with most Democrats and 13 Republicans — including Pennsylvania’s own Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick — in support.

• The bill, hailed by Biden as a “once-in-a-generation investment,” now goes to the president’s desk.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania is slated to get $11.3 billion for highway projects and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over five years.

• The state’s highways are rated among the worst in the nation for road and bridge deterioration, according to a report from TRIP, a national transportation nonprofit.

State of play: There are more than 3,350 bridges and 7,540 miles of highway described as in “poor condition” across the state, according to the White House.

• Since 2011, commutes have increased by 7.6% in Pennsylvania, and drivers pay, on average, $620 per year because of roads in need of repair.

By the numbers: Over five years, Pennsylvania expects to receive roughly $2.8 billion for public transportation, and $1.4 billion to improve water infrastructure. Other allocations include:

• $355 million for airport infrastructure improvements
• $49 million for wildfire protections
• $26 million for security against cyberattacks

Between the lines: Biden’s plan also includes $1 billion for the Reconnecting Communities Initiative designed to rectify damage caused by highways predominantly built through communities of color.

• U.S. Rep Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) co-sponsored it to help Philadelphia neighborhoods like Nicetown and Chinatown, which were respectively split by the Roosevelt and Vine Street expressways.

What they’re saying: Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) tweeted that the bill “is the single-largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in generations.”

• “America’s infrastructure has reached a breaking point, and this is a challenge we can no longer ignore,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said in a statement.

The other side: Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), who voted against the bill, said, “While American families face record-high inflation and businesses can’t find workers, Democrats prioritize woke police that will only make things worse.”

• Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Glenn Thompson, who’s also from Pennsylvania, said the legislation is “full of budget gimmicks and will cost American taxpayers trillions of dollars.”

What’s ahead: A spokesperson from the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office told Axios the city expects to put the funding toward new infrastructure grant programs, but further details remain unclear at this time.

Original source can be found here.