[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6322471,"mediaKeyId","2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443","parentId",2347508,"title","Lawmakers, PennDOT discuss staffing shortages, winter costs and maintenance strain on county crews","audioSeconds",2186,"startMs",6941000,"endMs",9127000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443&start=6941&end=9127","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443/thumbnail_6941000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6322471/Pennsylvania/Lawmakers-PennDOT-discuss-staffing-shortages-winter-costs-and-maintenance-strain-on-county-crews","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322471-d3c4d0616af6d7b571fe2a94ababb766/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129042&Signature=TVMt-UdhUtyt9bMDH7Y9v6YI68EtUODVlcQpbKmdooL1OToW82teakcJLUQ59wrRFhLm6qBp2~EI2udYiGLVO5uSFziiEk28fMO5Cknq2C0dG9m39wBm1r2Cd3PGGJ3C0Jtbrf92nuLKMlGuFlzkFRdrv2vfvxgX5XCAo7Su4NmRYdqqhgwMRQef8438UPRZrdL~Pg0TqvNHmxsRy50HqWgsTWVG8tftzb1iWKBuHU7VnOfOnLQMKRQ3Z8bKuYm82~wKILSdjoYvMa2pzw~ambIRFWJl0868Js3sTwUjtF5T8T6Z0t3AIUbMXKTUvv8kAUJkxZYrdBv2oo6DwCSSLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pennsylvania House of Representatives","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","Lawmakers from suburban and rural districts told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20 that PennDOT district maintenance offices are understaffed and struggling to recruit and retain CDL drivers and heavy‑equipment operators.

Representatives from the collar counties described high vacancy rates in maintenance ranks — in some districts staffing is about 70% of target — and said local governments can sometimes outcompete PennDOT on wages and benefits for similar roles. Several lawmakers asked whether regional pay adjustments, tax credits, or changes to liquid fuels allocations might help close recruitment gaps.

Carroll acknowledged the problem and said PennDOT has been aggressive in recruitment — advertising openings and attending job fairs — and that the department is investing in fleet replacement and equipment funded through recent budget decoupling to support maintenance productivity. He noted that PennDOT’s winter maintenance budget is expected to be exceeded this year because severe winter conditions have driven higher salt, overtime and equipment use; that excess work will reduce funds available for summer maintenance projects unless offset by additional budget resources.

Members asked for reports on (1) vacancies by district, (2) maintenance projects delayed or deferred, and (3) the number of unfilled CDL roles; Carroll agreed to provide the requested data and to participate in follow‑up conversations about recruitment and compensation strategies.

Ending: Committee staff and PennDOT agreed to follow up with district‑level vacancy and delayed‑project data so legislators can evaluate options to shore up maintenance capacity.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee -- February 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members told PennDOT the department faces uneven staffing and CDL shortages that affect maintenance response and summer projects; Carroll said winter spending is already exceeding budgets and that prior fleet investments were made using recently decoupled funds.","taxTitle","Appropriations, House of Representatives, Legislative, Pennsylvania","taxId",29233,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322476,"Lawmakers press Carroll on motor‑license fund phase‑out for State Police, warning of tradeoffs for roads and bridges",368,3075000,3443000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443&start=3075&end=3443","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","/articles/6322476/Pennsylvania/Lawmakers-press-Carroll-on-motorlicense-fund-phaseout-for-State-Police-warning-of-tradeoffs-for-roads-and-bridges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322476-6bdddc9e6813889ad46df2df67eb5bb1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129042&Signature=SaIeXGZgrzIVXkM8tWn~Qs0jGtBcCHN8v42sL6wwzCpKoIh-wEZtm-TForEXFSaPiGPyhTgzSQTB9qIaB3j~g52bW4FswHYPLy8pcp3bLNzp86QibIZtUEYCDgbGN7qLNttav1LDGH6EMb5tjSbS5Nab~ocNIyATJu~v3p6tnf-HbhGCfM9~~IlBwB0dSJzwgu4nxfO9i2UyPusPpQbOwqKxz3nBkbxcmpTaiAY~teLtv~nW6Z9NLkKibjxK5Gc1tlUr2wA-q63gjkneu5YjandPqbFRcH906rljD6XeLdjuZSKqupJUKuSFIvs7Fq7f9nAjiaahbGiV5y~OMWO5SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll faced questions at the Feb. 20 Appropriations hearing about the governor’s proposal to phase out State Police reliance on the Motor License Fund (MLF) more slowly than some legislators sought.

Background: Under prior proposals and recent budgets, the commonwealth has been reducing transfers from the MLF to the state police. Carroll summarized the change: the governor’s budget proposes phasing out $100 million from the MLF in fiscal 2025–26 and then $50 million in each subsequent year until the MLF no longer funds the state police; the General Assembly’s earlier action had accelerated reductions in the near term and left less in the MLF for roads and bridges in the coming years.

Tradeoffs: Representative Barton and others pressed Carroll on why the state would slow the phase‑out, noting that the change could mean roughly $375 million less for roads and bridges over four years if the slower schedule were continued. Carroll responded that the budget enacted earlier included higher near‑term decoupling amounts and that the governor’s budget altered the schedule to relieve pressure on the General Fund; he said the decisions reflect choices about competing general‑fund obligations such as schools and public safety.

Carroll said the department used some of the initial decoupled funds to accelerate fleet replacement and other maintenance investments and that prior decoupling had been aimed at addressing immediate capital needs in maintenance and construction.

Ending: Members asked for continued oversight and for options to preserve road and bridge investments while meeting public‑safety funding needs; Carroll said further budget tradeoffs rest with the General Assembly and the governor.","Committee members questioned the governor’s slower phase‑out of State Police reliance on the motor‑license fund and Carroll described how different decoupling schedules affect road and bridge funding over the next several years.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322479,"Carroll says PennDOT expanding outreach to minority‑ and women‑owned firms; lawmakers press for data and pipelines into jobs",2395,537000,2932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443&start=537&end=2932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443/thumbnail_537000.jpg","/articles/6322479/Pennsylvania/Carroll-says-PennDOT-expanding-outreach-to-minority-and-womenowned-firms-lawmakers-press-for-data-and-pipelines-into-jobs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322479-36fdf74a183c9537e2b76abbb4a8b789/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129042&Signature=TtJRiCKt5Y9MOXajlOBAreLF0hBMnEALe5TNQ-iFsEPcxbhdE38D92hXnwXrzpVs3ojkFBSyv2P~Aa8XIcE2yHi5P4Ip6-yoTdicJq5RC6AWL~25kmzUFWMeJ5EztU8NyjrTMIlEz3eLluEBufgnycpv-jgkSdG-r6IXHyuJmpQMFBWaeI~j85ff20ckGTDCHvBXLAssG-gnwSQ0DiBf-lL7Pl08dhGFI7LC8BH~3ucQDlR8WPxBMwJNemXsH6muHVeFqUE3pDxZdshsmnzMOT9WhW7LHUcNHZ2AbQNjfwKnhiTqJu7r6JJZU7dDWPNF-qzuKKK8HmMOug1gt9LnqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20 that PennDOT has stepped up outreach to increase participation by small, women‑owned, veteran‑owned and minority‑owned firms and is operating mentor‑protégé programs to help firms qualify for bidding.

Carroll described federal reporting requirements for minority participation and said PennDOT is “aggressively” working to expand the pool of qualified vendors. He asked members to help identify firms in their districts and to assist with outreach to ensure smaller firms understand steps necessary to qualify.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum also asked PennDOT to provide data on progress: Representative Fleming requested granular statistics on the number of contracts and dollar amounts awarded to Black‑ and women‑owned firms over the past two years; Carroll said PennDOT would provide that data to the committee.

On workforce pipelines, Carroll and members discussed training and career ladders. Carroll highlighted efforts with community colleges, career and technical schools and internal leadership academies to expand recruitment and advancement — including for CDL drivers and heavy‑equipment operators. Representative Abney and others asked whether PennDOT could do more to help building trades diversify their ranks; Carroll said PennDOT will continue to partner with unions and contractors on training and apprenticeships.

Ending: Carroll promised to provide committee staff with requested participation data and to continue coordination with members to expand vendor outreach and workforce development programs.","Secretary Carroll described mentor‑protege outreach, reporting tied to federal requirements and internal efforts to diversify PennDOT's leadership and vendor pool; legislators asked for granular participation data and for steps to build career pipelines into highway construction jobs and CDL positions.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322484,"Committee hears risk to major PennDOT projects if discretionary federal grants are paused",2671,904000,3575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443&start=904&end=3575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443/thumbnail_904000.jpg","/articles/6322484/Pennsylvania/Committee-hears-risk-to-major-PennDOT-projects-if-discretionary-federal-grants-are-paused","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322484-c04b942f2d3d45e931e5298734292ab3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129042&Signature=JYXSETKynsgnrFc81BnowADLjZF7L7C~nbNyZtH4JgbaT1e0WFGjFLJEY~fXno5r~CFXuVfrxisC18gMkQhz7xuKEhh-fVZpWfFayj4ts4l5I2LkhHrWBcJWuP2qLpf2NZLsHk~4mjm4TUH-7b0vPwofGT3uPyBFcuxVRgbIlwpOtCyqSvTx1ib~MIHwtUTjkmqBwrcD8kXk2UlDwB1OWuDRl9XpmML6-8QqIkc1BwEkRqHtw2QFrS0HzQxoD1bD-qZDrxRmV6rmImhE6aPkFt-oHzKsqyPsyB7QrMGpUgYmScCtir9PL0CQH167tR7yAaXQZd2KCxezchbXcbDDaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20 that discretionary federal awards — unlike obligated formula funds — could be paused if Congress extends a short‑term continuing resolution or if the U.S. Department of Transportation reconsiders unobligated awards.

Carroll described three program types: obligated federal funds (contractual and not at immediate risk), discretionary awards where an award has been announced but not yet obligated, and other competitive grants. He said PennDOT considers obligated funds a contractual obligation between the commonwealth and the federal government; discretionary awards that have not been obligated are “in question” if Washington pauses funding.

What’s at stake: Carroll said the Federal Highway Administration awarded $500 million for the I‑83 Susquehanna River bridge — the single largest discretionary grant PennDOT has won — but that those funds are not yet obligated. If the federal award is rescinded, PennDOT would still need to build the roughly $1.2 billion bridge and Carroll said the commonwealth would have to decide how to replace the federal share.

NEVI and passenger rail: Carroll said Pennsylvania was allocated about $170 million nationally under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program; $70 million of that has been obligated and delivered to charging stations already in service, with more stations under construction. He called the obligated NEVI funds a contractual commitment. The remaining $100 million for NEVI and other discretionary rail awards — including a $143 million competitive award connected to new passenger-rail service proposals — remain at risk until obligations are recorded.

Passenger rail projects are at different stages: Carroll said the Scranton (restoration to New York) project has advanced to the Federal Railroad Administration service‑development plan step (one of five nationwide at that stage), while the Reading/Philadelphia (Redding) corridor remains pending FRA approval. Several committee members pressed Carroll about a recent decision by Amtrak to cut a bus connector for Reading service, and Carroll reiterated his and the governor’s advocacy in Washington for passenger rail awards but said final decisions rest with federal agencies.

Federal timing: Multiple legislators asked whether the administration in Washington — and the change in presidential administrations — might alter discretionary awards. Carroll said decisions on discretionary awards are made at the federal level and that PennDOT expects federal agencies to honor awards but cannot compel them to do so.

Ending: Lawmakers requested lists of unobligated discretionary awards and the projects that would be affected by a federal pause; Carroll said PennDOT would provide those details and continue advocacy with federal partners.","PennDOT officials told lawmakers federal continuing‑resolution uncertainty could pause discretionary awards and delay or put at risk large projects including the I‑83 Susquehanna bridge grant, NEVI electric‑vehicle charging funds and passenger‑rail service planning.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322489,"House hearing spotlights debate over governor’s transit carve‑out and who benefits under statutory formula",437,1277000,1714000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443&start=1277&end=1714","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347508-faf49dd9486d2cb1f19e138696283443/thumbnail_1277000.jpg","/articles/6322489/Pennsylvania/House-hearing-spotlights-debate-over-governors-transit-carveout-and-who-benefits-under-statutory-formula","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322489-0edec58f641e59644b608c0944fad294/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129042&Signature=AQsCvQSkUeNMue0ZSBZ~r0HLCkjMDYEXqaZ99BycI~XuS1ddFBbSO8HLcQ6PRAaoy-qmxkOfEu58nDaeXOuEYQ5FzKonIGZ3~bJpp1rr8OJ6EMpu9a1Orbxm7GgWQul0D0MsGr1nYF0OkV~~AsRuQ5s0Itk0-oi9NN0xNgTH0haTNYajJOaW0srv8V45vMNr5Dp6MN78BY9OrcF3MVOTSOGAYOt9EI3wxVgWQiwxjcoo3uFI3jZcgHEMDAQ3sxW1Q-9PzRbz5Ox89imbfSNtxIpKAxUWZSh9hb4P1Y5a88oKznm9qEn68ce5Q1r5VkDinYcjWinOrPjpi5UmwjbArA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20 that the governor’s proposed sales‑tax carve‑out for transit would raise new money but that distribution of those dollars is set by a statutory formula that PennDOT must follow.

The governor proposes an additional 1.75 percentage points on the sales tax to generate roughly $290 million for transit, Carroll said, and the administration’s overall transit package would add to an estimated state transit grant pool of about $1 billion for fiscal 2025–26. Under the current statute, a substantial share of any additional transit dollars would be allocated to SEPTA in southeastern Pennsylvania, and Carroll said roughly half of a proposed $300 million support package would flow to SEPTA as the statute prescribes.

Why it matters: Several lawmakers urged reexamination of the formula, saying population changes since it was enacted make the distribution feel inequitable to suburban and rural counties. Supporters of the governor’s plan and transit officials say urban transit systems carry large regional and statewide economic activity and that disruptions to SEPTA would ripple across the commonwealth.

Carroll said PennDOT cannot reassign statutory dollars and that any change to how transit aid is split would require legislative action. “PennDOT will comply with the law, and we will deliver the funds as are legislatively, statutorily prescribed,” he said. He also noted that transit in counties outside the SEPTA footprint would also receive additional money under the governor’s proposal because the overall pool grows.

Lawmakers pressed for more detail on how additional funds would be applied and for data on how smaller transit agencies statewide would be affected. Representative Kale and others said their constituents see frequent rhetoric that “all the money goes to SEPTA,” and asked whether smaller agencies receive proportionate benefit. Carroll and PennDOT deputies said the department would provide detailed grant and obligation figures and flagged that the statutory formula dates to Act 44 (2007) and other earlier policy choices.

Carroll and several committee members also emphasized that federal infrastructure funding (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal awards) has materially increased resources available for roads and transit, and that federal awards operate on different timelines and rules than state statutory distributions.

The hearing produced repeated invitations from members for PennDOT to meet with delegations that want to explore formula changes. Carroll said he would meet with members and review proposals but noted that rewriting a distribution formula typically produces winners and losers and requires careful legislative work.

Ending: Committee members from urban, suburban and rural districts said they will pursue follow‑up briefings and requested PennDOT provide agency‑level grant budgets and the data backing statutory distributions so members can evaluate potential changes to the formula.","PennDOT Secretary Carroll told the House Appropriations Committee the governor’s proposal to increase a sales‑tax carve‑out for transit would boost statewide transit support but flows to agencies are set by statute; lawmakers pressed for equity changes to a formula many said is out of date.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers, PennDOT discuss staffing shortages, winter costs and maintenance strain on county crews

Lawmakers press Carroll on motor‑license fund phase‑out for State Police, warning of tradeoffs for roads and bridges

Carroll says PennDOT expanding outreach to minority‑ and women‑owned firms; lawmakers press for data and pipelines into jobs

Committee hears risk to major PennDOT projects if discretionary federal grants are paused

House hearing spotlights debate over governor’s transit carve‑out and who benefits under statutory formula