Great things to come in Fayette
The recent passage of a federal infrastructure bill totaling more than $1.2 trillion is a sign of great things to come nationwide as well as here at home in Fayette County.
Pennsylvania is slated to receive almost $13 billion over the next five years for highway projects and bridge improvements alone. Other five-year allocations include more than $4.2 billion for public transportation and water infrastructure improvements, and more than $430 million for airport infrastructure upgrades, wildfire protections and security against cyberattacks.
This bill is long overdue, as Pennsylvania’s infrastructure has been crumbling for years and desperately needs rebuilding. Fayette County is in dire need of an influx of funding to help fund numerous projects currently listed on our Transportation Implementation Plan (TIP).
Our TIP projects are traditionally funded through the state’s Oil Company Franchise Tax. However, that annual funding is now limited, with fewer people driving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fayette County can expect to receive millions of dollars from this infrastructure bill, with the first round of funding arriving in 2022. Many of our TIP projects will no longer be in limbo, and countless jobs will be created, not just countywide, but across the state and nation.
As members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), all three of your commissioners will work as a team to ensure Fayette County receives its fair share of the infrastructure bill. As the new secretary/treasurer of the SPC’s executive committee, I am in a prime position to work directly with the state Department of Transportation to secure funding for our TIP priority projects.
Pennsylvania has more than 3,350 bridges and 7,540 miles of highway – the majority of which are severely deteriorated and in need of costly repairs. Fayette County is no different, but the majority of our infrastructure problems often start at the municipal level.
While the federal infrastructure bill is great legislation that will really help our communities, we’ve taken that initiative a step further with the recent creation of the Fayette County Infrastructure Bank.
We’re working directly with our municipal government leaders to assess the need for and impact of the infrastructure bank, which will allow them to more quickly and reliably receive financing for their repairs and improvements.
The goal of our project is to offer low-interest loans to more eligible applicants than what is available through traditional financing. Once operational, the program will be a great opportunity for our municipalities and redevelopment authorities to acquire the capital funding necessary to tackle a variety of projects.
The Fayette County Infrastructure Bank may be the difference between a municipality accomplishing or foregoing an infrastructure project. Therefore, the timing of this federal infrastructure bill is perfect for backing our efforts here at the grassroots level.
We hope the combination of local initiative and federal funding will allow us to improve Fayette County’s infrastructure for all citizens, and lay a solid foundation for decades to come.
Vincent A. Vicites
Fayette County Commissioner