Nov 18, 2014 2 min read

Local municipalities are seeing an increase in funding to address road maintenance thanks to a transportation bill signed into law last year.

State Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, said the bill increased liquid fuel funding between 15 and 20 percent, which equates to roughly $220 million over the next five years.

Liquid fuel funding is derived from fuel taxes, and can be used by municipalities for maintenance and snow removal. The funding formula is based on population and miles of locally owned roads.

Solobay said the funding prevents municipalities from increasing local taxes.

“Everywhere I go, local officials are trying to stretch limited funding to cover their road maintenance responsibilities,” he said in a news release. “Funding from Act 89 will result in more work getting done, safer roads and fewer car repairs.”

Act 89 funds road projects, bridge repairs and public transit.

John Stickle, South Strabane Township manager, said the money is extremely important to municipalities.

“Pretty much all of our road work is done using liquid fuels,” he said.

The Liquid Fuels Act was enacted in 1931 and provides semiannual allocations from which payments can be made for construction, maintenance and repair of roads and bridges, according to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Stickle said the money also can be used for capital purchases, such as trucks, and can go toward salaries as long as the workers are involved in road or bridge maintenance. He said South Strabane uses the funds for maintenance, seal coats and road preservation.

The state completes audits to ensure the money is being used properly, he said.

Stephanie Whitlatch, municipality specialist with PennDOT, said municipalities with larger populations or large mileage coverage areas receive more money. Washington and Cecil, North Strabane and Peters townships will receive more than $300,000 each through 2020.