74 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Appendix To Title

APPENDIX TO TITLE 74

TRANSPORTATION

Supplementary Provisions of Amendatory Statutes

1994, FEBRUARY 10, P.L.20, NO.3

Preamble

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(a) Findings.--

(1) There exists in the urban and suburban communities in metropolitan areas, traffic congestion and serious mass transportation problems because of underdeveloped mass transportation facilities resulting in inadequate or overcrowded high-cost conditions on Commonwealth highways and existing mass transportation facilities.

(2) Such conditions or a combination of some or all of them have made and will continue to result in making such communities economic and social liabilities harmful to the social and economic well-being of the entire area, depreciating values therein, reducing the tax revenues, making the metropolitan areas and their constituent communities less desirable areas in which to live and work and thereby depreciating further the general community-wide values.

(3) The foregoing conditions cannot be effectively dealt with by private enterprise under existing law without the additional aids granted in this act and are beyond remedy or control by governmental regulatory processes.

(4) The sound planning and development of metropolitan mass transportation facilities in accordance with sound and approved plans for their promotion, development and growth will promote the public health, safety, convenience and welfare, and the public acquisition of existing mass transportation facilities in accordance with the sound plans for their redevelopment and promotion will promote the public health, safety, convenience and welfare.

(5) The well-being and economic health of the counties and other communities in the metropolitan areas require integrated systems of mass passenger transportation.

(6) It is desirable that the public transportation systems in the metropolitan areas be improved, extended and supplemented by the creation of authorities as provided in this act.

(7) The establishment of metropolitan transportation authorities as authorities of the Commonwealth and the continuance of the existing metropolitan transportation authorities will promote the public safety, convenience and welfare.

(8) It is intended that metropolitan transportation authorities cooperate with or acquire existing transportation operators or facilities so that private enterprise and government may mutually provide adequate transit facilities for the convenience of the public.

(9) It is intended that any authority created or continued under this act will cooperate with all municipalities and other public bodies in whose territories it operates so that the transportation system may best serve the interests of the residents thereof.

(10) It is intended that the operation of a transportation system will enhance the quality of the environment of the metropolitan area by relieving highway congestion and providing for multipassenger traveling patterns.

(11) It is intended that residents of the metropolitan area may be provided with access to transportation facilities and the ability to travel within the metropolitan area regardless of disability or handicap.

(b) Declaration.--Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth to promote the safety and welfare of its inhabitants by authorizing the creation or continuation of a body corporate and politic for each metropolitan area, to be known as the transportation authority of such area, which shall exist and operate for the purposes contained in this chapter as an authority of the Commonwealth. These purposes are hereby declared to be public uses for which public money may be spent and private property may be acquired by the exercise of the power of eminent domain.

Explanatory Note. Act 3 amended, added or repealed sections 1311, 1312 and 1313 and Chapters 15 and 17 of Title 74 and sections 1532, 1550, 6323 and 9511 of Title 75.

2004, NOVEMBER 30, P.L.1618, NO.207

§ 29. Construction of law.

Nothing in this act shall be construed or deemed to provide magisterial district judges with retirement benefits or rights that are different from those available to district justices or justices of the peace immediately prior to the effective date of this act. Nothing in this act shall be construed or deemed to provide senior magisterial district judges with retirement benefits or rights that are different from those available to senior district justices immediately prior to the effective date of this act.

Explanatory Note. Act 207 amended section 5703 of Title 74.

2007, JULY 18, P.L.169, NO.44

§ 8. Continuation of prior financial assistance and funds appropriated.

(a) Financial assistance.--Financial assistance made by the Department of Transportation under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 13 prior to the effective date of this section may continue to be used by recipients for operating or capital expenses upon the same terms and conditions as are contained in the notice of grant award or grant agreement executed in connection with the award, if the funds are expended within five years following the effective date of this section.

(b) Funds.--The Department of Transportation may continue to use all funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for public transportation purposes prior to the effective date of this section in accordance with the laws under which the funds were made available.

Explanatory Note. Act 44 added section 303 and repealed or added Chapters 13, 15, 81 and 82 of Title 74.

§ 9. Public Transportation Assistance Fund.

The repeal of 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 13 is subject to the following:

(1) Notwithstanding the repeal:

(i) The fund shall continue to receive revenue the fund was entitled to receive on June 30, 2007.

(ii) Transit entities that have outstanding obligations shall continue to receive money from the fund calculated and paid in the same manner as was provided on June 30, 2007.

(iii) Transit entities that do not have outstanding obligations shall not be entitled to receive additional money from the fund after June 30, 2007.

(iv) No transit entity shall be entitled to pledge the money from the fund to secure additional obligations issued after June 30, 2007.

(v) Money remaining in the fund after payments under subparagraph (ii) shall be transferred monthly to the Public Transportation Trust Fund established under 74 Pa.C.S. § 1506.

(vi) Payments to transit entities under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 15 shall be reduced by amounts received by the transit entity from the fund under subparagraph (ii).

(2) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Department." The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth.

"Fund." The Public Transportation Assistance Fund.

"Obligations." Any bonds, notes, bond anticipation notes, refunding notes and bonds, interim certificates, debentures and other evidences of indebtedness or obligations of a transit entity with respect to which revenues from the fund have been pledged prior to June 30, 2007.

"Transit entity." Any class of transit entity, as defined in former section 1301 of Title 74.

(3) The Commonwealth pledges to and agrees with any person, firm or corporation holding any bonds previously issued by, or any other debt incurred by, a local transportation organization and secured in whole or part by a pledge of the funds provided to the local transportation organization from the Public Transportation Assistance Fund that the Commonwealth will not limit or alter rights vested in a local transportation organization in any manner inconsistent with obligations of the local transportation organization to the obligees of the local transportation organization until all bonds previously issued or other debt incurred, together with the interest on the bonds or debt, is fully paid or provided for.

§ 11. Continuation of prior law.

The addition of 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81 is a continuation of the act of September 30, 1985 (P.L.240, No.61), known as the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act. The following shall apply:

(1) Except as otherwise provided under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81, all activities initiated under the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act shall continue and remain in full force and effect and may be completed under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81. Orders, regulations, rules and decisions which were made under the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act and which are in effect on the effective date of section 10(2) of this act shall remain in full force and effect until revoked, vacated or modified under 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81. Contracts, obligations and collective bargaining agreements entered into under the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act are not affected nor impaired by the repeal of the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act.

(2) Except as set forth in paragraph (3), any difference in language between 74 Pa.C.S. Ch. 81 and the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act is intended only to conform to the style of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and is not intended to change or affect the legislative intent, judicial construction or administration and implementation of the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act.

(3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply to any of the following:

(i) In section 8102:

(A) Paragraphs (1), (6) and (7) of the definition of "cost of the turnpikes."

(B) Paragraph (2) of the definition of "turnpikes."

(C) The definitions of "auditor general's certificate," "cost of the department," "general reserve fund surplus," "public passenger transportation," "rural State highway system," "secretary," "State highway," and "system of public passenger transportation."

(ii) Section 8105(b)(2).

(iii) Section 8107(a)(9) and (10).

(iv) Section 8112(a)(1)(iii), (2) and (4), (b)(2) and (c)(1).

(v) Section 8113.

(vi) Section 8114(c) and (d).

(vii) Section 8116.

2012, JULY 5, P.L.1140, NO.140

§ 2. Designation of bridge.

The bridge on U.S. Route 202 Parkway over Pennsylvania Route 309 in Montgomery Township, Montgomery County, is designated as the Chief Richard J. Brady Bridge. The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions.

Explanatory Note. Act 140 added section 8309 of Title 74.

2013, NOVEMBER 25, P.L.974, NO.89

Preamble

The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) It is the purpose of this act to ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to the residents of this Commonwealth.

(2) The Commonwealth's transportation system includes nearly 40,000 miles of roads and 25,000 bridges owned by the Commonwealth, nearly 77,000 miles of roads and 12,000 bridges owned by counties and municipal governments, 36 fixed-route public transportation agencies, 67 railroads, 133 public-use airports, the Ports of Erie, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and numerous bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

(3) The Commonwealth's transportation system provides for access to employment, educational services, medical care and other life-sustaining services for all residents of this Commonwealth, including senior citizens and people with disabilities.

(4) The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth has indicated that 9,000 miles of roads owned by the Commonwealth are in poor condition and that 4,400 bridges owned by the Commonwealth are rated structurally deficient. The State Transportation Advisory Committee has indicated that 2,189 bridges exceeding 20 feet in length owned by counties and municipalities are rated structurally deficient.

(5) There is urgent public need to reduce congestion, increase capacity, improve safety and promote economic efficiency of transportation facilities throughout this Commonwealth.

(6) The Commonwealth has limited resources to fund the maintenance and expansion of its transportation facilities.

(7) The State Transportation Advisory Committee reported in 2010 that the Commonwealth's transportation system is underfunded by $3,500,000,000 and projected that amount will grow to $6,700,000,000 by 2020 without additional financial investment by the Commonwealth.

(8) To ensure the needs of the public are adequately addressed, funding mechanisms must be enhanced to sustain the Commonwealth's transportation system in the future.

(9) The utilization of user fees establishes a funding source for transportation needs that spreads the costs across those who benefit from the Commonwealth's transportation system.

(10) Pursuant to section 11 of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, all highway and bridge user fees must be used solely for construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of and safety on public highways and bridges and costs and expenses incident thereto.

(11) In order to ensure a safe and reliable system of public transportation, aviation, ports, rail and bicycle and pedestrian facilities, other transportation-related user fees must be deposited in the Public Transportation Trust Fund and the Multimodal Transportation Fund.

(12) In furtherance of the Commonwealth's energy policy, which includes becoming independent from overreliance on foreign energy sources, programs must be established to promote reliance on or conversion to alternative energy sources, including the vast natural gas supply of this Commonwealth.

(13) The Department of Transportation is responsible for the operation of the Commonwealth's transportation system, including administration, driver and vehicle services, highway administration, multimodal transportation and planning. To this end, the department is charged with the registration of vehicles, including the issuance and proper mounting of license plates and special registration plates and assessing those costs and financial impact and ensuring road safety and movement by the posting of maximum speed limits on highways.

(14) Recognition and furtherance of all these elements is essential to promoting the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this Commonwealth.

Explanatory Note. Act 89 amended, added, reenacted or repealed Chapter 2, sections 303, 1503, 1504, 1506, 1507, 1511, 1512, 1514, 1516, 1517 and 1517.1, Chapter 21, Subchapter C of Chapter 59, sections 8105, 8121, 8204 and 9119 and Chapters 92, 93, 94, 95 and 96 of Title 74 and sections 1307, 1332, 1353, 1354, 1355, 1370, 1550, 1553, 1554, 1617, 1786, 1903, 1904, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1926.1, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1931.1, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 2102, 3111, 3362, 3363, 4902, 4962, 4968, 6110, 6110.1, 6118, 6506, 8901, 8915.6, 9002, 9004, 9006, 9010, 9017, 9301, 9023, 9106 and 9511 of Title 75.

§ 43. Applicability.

The following shall apply:

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(3) The amendment of 74 Pa.C.S. § 8105(b)(2) shall apply to members of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission appointed for the first time after the effective date of this section.

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§ 46. Maximum principal amount of additional debt.

The maximum principal amount of additional debt to be incurred under this act for capital projects specifically itemized in a capital project itemization act pursuant to section 7(a)(4) of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania shall be $500,000,000. Debt shall be incurred in accordance with the act of February 9, 1999 (P.L.1, No.1), known as the Capital Facilities Debt Enabling Act, and the Motor License Fund shall be charged with the repayment of the debt. The net proceeds from the sale of obligations authorized in this section are appropriated to the Department of Transportation to be used exclusively to defray financial costs of capital projects specifically itemized in accordance with the Capital Facilities Debt Enabling Act. The money necessary to pay debt service or to pay arbitrage rebates required under section 148 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 148) due on the obligations under this section in fiscal year 2013-2014 is appropriated to the State Treasurer from the Motor License Fund.

§ 47. Costs incurred by department.

The sum of $1,000,000 is appropriated to the Department of Transportation from the Multimodal Transportation Fund for costs incurred by the department in the administration of the programs under 74 Pa.C.S. § 2104(a)(1).

Last modified: October 8, 2016