Across the Commonwealth, municipalities are forced to bear the financial burden of the numerous detrimental effects of heavy commuter traffic. Whether these costs come in the form of infrastructure repairs and maintenance, environmental restoration, stormwater management, and emergency services related to transportation projects, many municipalities are forced to grapple with financial burdens that they often did not wish to take on to begin with.
 
For this reason, I will soon be introducing legislation to establish a Commuter Impact Zone Grant Program to award grants to municipalities to assist with mitigating the effects of heavy commuter traffic. This bill will further establish a Commuter Impact Mitigation Grant Program to assist with measures to protect public health and housing stability, while also providing grants to assist small businesses negatively impacted by transportation-related construction.
 
This legislation would provide needed relief to the municipalities that are most heavily impacted by some of the most travelled roadways in the country. Our constituents should not have their quality of life suffer due to transportation projects or the traffic that runs through their area. By providing assistance to municipalities, we can ensure that our districts’ unique needs can be addressed at the local level. This bill would also have PennDOT seek approval from a municipality before expanding an interstate. This process will ensure local voices are heard during these community disrupting projects. 
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to protect our constituents from the impacts of commuter traffic and transportation projects.