Pittsburgh’s 2014-2015 Coro Fellows in Public Affairs and Director of Training and Learning Development, Mary C. Parker (second from left), met with Governor Tom Wolf (D - center) during State Affairs Week.
Each year, Pittsburgh’s Coro Fellows visit our state capital, Harrisburg, PA, to learn more about the intersection of local and state-level concerns. They have the opportunity to meet with numerous stakeholders and decision-makers that provide them access and insight into policy-making. State Affairs Week 2015 was held from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20. During that time, Fellows split into working groups to focus on particular issues relevant to their goals and work. The transportation group, whose reflections are below, included:
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| Berenise Bermudez | Kenny Chen, Post Author | Aaron King | Prisca Ohito |
Initially, during State Affairs Week, we divided ourselves into teams in order to explore the political, historical, and contemporary state of transportation in Pennsylvania. To deepen our understanding, we sought to answer the following question: Who has been making the decisions that positively and negatively impact transportation infrastructure?
Here’s what we learned along the way:
In previous years, Pennsylvania’s transportation system was in a state of neglect and its infrastructure under-invested. Even the iconic bridges of Pittsburgh were part of the issue; in 2013, 23% of Pennsylvania’s bridges were deemed structurally deficient. This status of the state’s infrastructure was bound to have severe consequences for its economy and citizens.
To remedy this dire situation, in 2013 the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the Act 89 Transportation Bill which was signed into law by then-Governor Tom Corbett to fund road projects, bridge repairs, and public transit in Pennsylvania. Act 89 allowed the state to increase wholesale taxes on gasoline and diesel distributors. Act 89 may have started with divisive origins, but the legislation became the seed for bringing people together.
Act 89 was unusual in many ways, given the scope and level of support; it was monumental for the many stakeholders involved. This breakthrough required innovative supporters, including the Keystone Funding Coalition, in addition to Democratic and Republican champions. Within the State government, current State House of Representative Speaker Mike Turzai (R) and former Governor Tom Corbett (R) helped parties compromise and stay focused on achieving the goal.
Our research led us to a new question: Where is the leverage point for young leaders such as Coro Fellows?
We believe that raising questions about how long-term economic improvements are tied to infrastructure development. We are committed to sharing honest information about infrastructure developments with our peers. We also advocate for calling state representatives, letting them know that we are here and about the future we want.
Editor’s Notes: This post has received edits from Outreach Manager, Sarah Miller. Any opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily the views held by the Coro Center for Civic Leadership (“Coro Pittsburgh”). However, we welcome our partners to share stories with – and through – us. If you are interested in making a blog post, please contact Outreach Manager Sarah Miller at smiller@coropittsburgh.org.