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WHEREAS, in order to reduce air pollution, congestion on our streets and roadways, promote investment in our neighborhoods, and provide affordable and reliable transportation to our residents and employees of our local businesses, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh strongly supports the call to expand funding for programs that achieve community redevelopment and sustainable development objectives to bring local infrastructure to a state of good repair per the 2006 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Keystone Principles For Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation; and
WHEREAS, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has an expected shortfall of $31.5 million in the proposed Fiscal Year 2006-2007 budget that is further exacerbated by the expiration on December 31, 2006 of $32 million in flexible federal transportation funds granted by the Commonwealth and approved by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission in March 2005; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh has and continues to recommend to the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission and the Pennsylvania General Assembly the need to establish permanent and reliable funding for public transportation to not only benefit City of Pittsburgh residents, but also residents, businesses and visitors of suburban, and rural areas as well as all other transportation modes, including but not limited to roadway and bridges, rail and truck freight, bicycle and pedestrian facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes and supports the need for innovative and creative solutions for air quality and congestion mitigation, the development of alternative fuels for government and private fleets, the use of diesel retrofit technology to reduce emissions; and also a regional Intelligent Transportation System implemented and maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation comprised of coordinated traffic signals and other transportation system and demand management strategies; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the need for public input into the approval of public subsidies required to allow for infrastructure investment, including but not limited to roadways, public transportation routes and infrastructure, water and sewer, as well as other development approvals, that are linked to the comprehensive and strategic community plans that reflect the needs and desires of our residents, businesses, and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the need for the City to adopt a "Fix It First" strategy, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Keystone Principles For Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation, to address the current backlog of highway and bridge repair projects identified in the current and proposed PENNDOT Twelve Year Programs and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh expresses its support to the Governor's Commission and General Assembly for a comprehensive transportation funding and programming solution that includes the above identified strategies that is guided by an equitable and transparent public decision making process.