PRINTER'S NO. 2256
No. 168 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY VEON, LAUGHLIN, PRESSMANN, BOWLEY, STABACK,
CALTAGIRONE, COHEN, MELIO, LUCYK, JADLOWIEC, J. L. WRIGHT,
YANDRISEVITS, HESS, D. W. SNYDER, HECKLER, KOSINSKI, TIGUE,
CIVERA, BELFANTI, GODSHALL, STEIGHNER, SCHULER, CAWLEY,
CLYMER, MAINE, GIGLIOTTI, ANGSTADT, PHILLIPS, BELARDI,
J. H. CLARK, BUNT, MORRIS, ARGALL, COLAFELLA, E. Z. TAYLOR,
HALUSKA, ROBINSON, FREEMAN AND THOMAS, JUNE 28, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 28, 1989
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Providing for the appointment of a special joint bipartisan
2 committee to evaluate and make recommendations to the General
3 Assembly relative to the formula used to allocate funds for
4 highway maintenance.
5 WHEREAS, On June 18, 1980, Governor Thornburgh signed into
6 law Act 68 which, among other matters, provided a specific
7 formula for the allocation of State highway maintenance funds
8 among the 67 counties; and
9 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
10 utilized a Trained Observer Program (T.O.S.) in 1980 to comply
11 with the law in the determination of the Relative Pavement
12 Quality Index (RPQI). This index and the formula was used for
13 the first time to allocate funds for the fiscal year 1981-1982;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, The law and the basic formula has remained basically
16 unchanged over the last nine years even though considerable
1 questioning on the appropriateness of the base allocations and
2 on the relevancy of the factors and weights in the ASHMA formula
3 to the actual needs in the respective counties has been
4 promulgated by the General Assembly and users' groups; and
5 WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation now has developed
6 and implemented a Systematic Technique to Analyze and Manage
7 Pennsylvania's Pavements (STAMPP) which more accurately assesses
8 the actual roadway needs on 100% of the system annually. The
9 STAMPP Index was used as part of the RPQI for the fiscal year
10 1985-1986 distribution. The Department of Transportation also is
11 presently implementing a Bridge Management System which will
12 determine actual bridge needs on all bridges biannually;
13 therefore be it
14 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the President pro
15 tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
16 Representatives each appoint three members of their respective
17 chambers, two from the majority party and one from the minority
18 party, to form a bipartisan committee to evaluate the
19 appropriateness of the current formula and its effects on this
20 Commonwealth and its various counties in light of potentially
21 more reliable and relevant data systems. The committee shall be
22 advised by Department of Transportation officials and shall
23 assess the impact of formula alterations on department
24 maintenance organizations. When significant adverse changes
25 occur, making a transition over a period of years shall be
26 considered to lessen the impact; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the committee shall recommend revisions as may
28 be necessary by February 1, 1990, with the intent of
29 incorporating these changes in the allocation procedures for
30 maintenance funding for fiscal year 1990-1991.
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