INFRASTRUCTURE

A safe, well-maintained, adequately funded infrastructure system throughout Pennsylvania is vital to the health and growth of its economy and the surrounding region. The Commonwealth’s network of roadways, bridges, ports, waterways, airports, railways, pipelines and public transit services are the multimodal components necessary for the movement of goods, people, and services throughout Pennsylvania’s transportation system. In addition, the Commonwealth’s network of water, wastewater, stormwater, gas, electric, telecommunications, and broadband infrastructure is necessary to protect public health, power our economy, enhance our local communities, and allow for the safe, reliable flow of people, information and ideas. Together, these networks provide access to growth and opportunity and can serve as a platform to establish Pennsylvania as a leader in innovation.

The importance of infrastructure as a catalyst for economic activity justifies the need for establishment of consistent, reliable, and sustainable allocation of state resources across the comprehensive system for maintenance, growth, and modernization. As the state invests revenues from federal infrastructure funding as well as revenues raised in state, the PA Chamber supports an equitable and strategic distribution of federal dollars across Pennsylvania’s various infrastructure systems andefforts that will reduce regulatory burdens, streamline processes across regional jurisdictions, and the time and resources needed to navigate government, as well as eliminate unnecessary costs that impede the ability of the public and private sectors to work together in improving these essential infrastructure networks.

Roads and Bridges

Safe and reliable travel on Pennsylvania roads and bridges is paramount, requiring significant investments for maintenance as our infrastructure is aging. Pennsylvania’s geographic significance on both north south and east-west shipping corridors contributes to wear and tear; and the state’s harsh winter climate and hot summers also pose a challenge to the design, construction, and upkeep of the state’s heavily traveled roads and bridges. The PA Chamber supports the continued rehabilitation or replacement of Pennsylvania’s structurally deficient bridges through utilizing strategic public-private partnerships. The PA Chamber supports establishing predictable, reliable, dedicated, and user-driven state funding mechanisms to support surface infrastructure maintenance and modernization. The PA Chamber also supports innovative approaches to funding structures, utilizing emerging transportation technology, and enhancing the working relationships between government and the private sector, all of which will help tackle these challenges in order to advance and achieve a 21st-century transportation system.

Airports

Airports located in cities across the state connect Pennsylvania’s people and economy to the global economy, with many airports offering international connections. In addition to safely moving people to their business and leisure destinations, airports allow for hundreds of thousands of tons of goods to be shipped quickly and efficiently across Pennsylvania and the world. Airports also serve as central hubs for economic development in their local communities. Whether international or a local airfield, all of Pennsylvania’s airports help drive the local economy, generate billions of dollars in economic benefits, and serve as economic engines to their surrounding communities, creating more than $34 billion per year in economic activity for Pennsylvania and supporting over 226,000 jobs. The PA Chamber supports well planned, cost-efficient public-private partnerships to provide various means of transportation, including rapid transit, to airports and key transportation terminals. The PA Chamber supports creating secure, sustainable funding mechanisms for long-term economic growth and safety improvements within the aviation industry, and investments should be aligned with important contributions of the industry to the state economy.

Ports

Pennsylvania’s three major ports (located in Erie, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia) are each uniquely situated to take advantage of the state’s waterways and other surface infrastructure, including rail, road, and air, to serve local, state, regional, and international markets’ ever-increasing shipping, transportation, and logistics demands. Over 67 million tons of goods come through our ports each year, representing nearly $50 billion in value. Pennsylvania’s ports must be ready to compete domestically and abroad, particularly in light of on-going realignments in global supply chains. The PA Chamber supports efforts to obtain the highest return on investment in ports already made by the Commonwealth with multimodal funding, including policies that provide investment in maintenance, upgrades, and improvements necessary to be internationally recognized ports.

Railways

Pennsylvania is fifth in the nation with more than 5,600 total track mileage, and ranks first in the nation with 65operating railroads. Rail helps move more than 170 million tons of cargo in and out of Pennsylvania safely, efficiently, and affordably, allowing manufacturing in Pennsylvania to thrive. The PA Chamber supports efforts to more efficiently improve rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania and opposes efforts to impose state regulations on railroads that are more stringent than federal requirements. The PA Chamber supports utilization of public-private partnerships to modernize and expand railway infrastructure in a responsible manner. The PA Chamber also supports the development of nationally designated high-speed corridors that serve Pennsylvania commuters, businesses, and visitors in a balanced manner that does not inhibit the movement of cargo via rail freight.

Public Transit Systems

Pennsylvania has 52 transit systems across the Commonwealth, which provide service to all 67 counties. Public transit is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of riders across the state to access employment, education opportunities, healthcare, and a wide range of community activities. Public transit, both the services it provides and the infrastructure that supports those services, is key to thriving neighborhoods, a healthy environment, and a robust interconnected community. Public transit increases economic activity through direct employment of transportation providers and indirect jobs supported by their spending, as well as reinvesting dollars back into state and local economies by procuring parts, equipment and other goods and various professional and construction services from businesses located throughout Pennsylvania. The PA Chamber supports investing in public transit systems throughout the Commonwealth by securing reliable, sustainable and predictable funding solutions which meet the operational and capital funding needs required to maintain, grow and improve public transportation. The PA Chamber supports policies which support further flexibility for utilization of public-private partnerships as an effective means to build-out, modernize, and increase the efficiency of public transit systems.

Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater

A safe and reliable network of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure is essential for public health and economic development. The PA Chamber supports an adequately funded system of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. It supports efforts for state and local governments to work together and with private industry in an innovative manner to reduce system costs. To improve the health, safety, and economic development in the Commonwealth, the PA Chamber also supports the following initiatives: removing legislative and regulatory barriers that impede private investment in the Commonwealth’s aged water and wastewater systems; streamlining the permitting and construction of projects to replace infrastructure; encouraging consolidation and regionalization of water, wastewater and stormwater systems where cost-effective and beneficial to ratepayers; and encouraging public-private partnerships between government and private industry.

Electric and Gas

Safe and reliable electric and gas infrastructure is critical to ensuring the well-being of our communities, the continued growth of Pennsylvania’s economy, and in powering our everyday lives.. As energy demands evolve, it is crucial that we invest in and maintain robust transmission and distribution networks to keep up with technological advancements and increasing energy demands. In addition to ensuring access and reliability within Pennsylvania, these investments should continue to position the state as a leading exporter of energy, and stimulate economic growth by encouraging innovation, creating new opportunities, and attracting investments, all which lead to long-term revenue opportunities for the Commonwealth. The PA Chamber supports policies and initiatives that encourage investments in fortifying, modernizing, and expanding Pennsylvania’s electric grid and natural gas pipelines. This includes initiatives aimed at streamlining the permitting process to address the growing demand for energy, reducing the risk of outages, and facilitating a more efficient transmission of energy throughout the Commonwealth. The PA Chamber supports a regulatory framework that encourages greater investment in our electric and gas infrastructure and opposes unnecessary regulatory costs and hurdles. Policies supporting these investments will enable Pennsylvania to attract, retain, and expand businesses and ensure access to reliable, affordable energy, while further strengthening our position as a global energy leader. Therefore, we strongly oppose any policies that fail to support these objectives.

Telecommunications & Broadband

A well-maintained telecommunications infrastructure, including wired, wireless, and broadband networks, is essential for an economy reliant on the secure and efficient transfer of data over a diverse array of networks. We believe continued efforts to reduce the regulatory burden on wireline and wireless broadband providers will spur private sector telecommunications investment and innovation. . The PA Chamber supports the expansion of broadband in unserved and underserved areas by private sector companies with experience designing, building and maintaining broadband infrastructure, as well as private and public sector partnerships to streamline local permitting, pole attachments and railroad crossings. The PA Chamber also supports innovative public-private collaboration between state and local governments and private industry to allow companies to harness public infrastructure to improve the delivery of broadband services, especially in rural areas. By streamlining regulation and encouraging private sector investment and a light regulatory touch, we are positioned to keep Pennsylvania in a national telecommunications leadership role and help to ensure that every community has fast, reliable and sustainable networks.

Approved by the Board of Directors on April 25, 2025.