WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) voted to pass the bipartisan INVEST in America Act, which includes the over $18 million she personally secured in federal funding for four major infrastructure projects in Chester and Berks counties. The bill passed the House on a bipartisan basis and now heads to the Senate.

Projects Rep. Houlahan secured funding for are as follows:

• $4.8 million for Exton Station Intermodal Connectivity. This project will support the improvement of a bus circulation loop to increase access to Exton Station, which will benefit the riders of the SEPTA 92 bus line that serves residents from West Chester to King of Prussia. This funding will enhance connections from the regional rail station and improve intermodal access to the station.
• $4 million for PA 12 West Highway Resurface 422. The funds would resurface SR 12 from US 422 to SR 183 (Schuylkill Avenue). It would include pavement restriping and lengthened acceleration lanes to provide documented safety and maintenance improvements in an environmental justice neighborhood.
• $4.9 million for the Schuylkill Avenue Bridge. This project will replace a structurally deficient bridge on Schuylkill Avenue in Reading. The funding includes ADA compliant sidewalks and will create the ability for rail expansion on the rail bridge below. It will also serve an environmental justice neighborhood.
• $5 million for the 222 Hard Shoulder. This project will expand a part of 222 southbound beginning at the Berkshire Boulevard overpass and extending to the Paper Mill Road exit outside of Reading. This funding will provide needed safety improvements in a dangerous stretch of road and relieve a significant bottleneck for traffic. There will also be regular preventative maintenance, including road patching and resurfacing.

“For years and years in Washington, partisan gridlock prevented politicians from making meaningful progress on Pennsylvania’s crumbling infrastructure,” said Houlahan. “I’m proud to say that with our INVEST in America Act, we shattered through the gridlock and produced a bipartisan bill that will have a major impact on our community and Commonwealth. On top of the $18+ million I secured for Chester and Berks counties, the legislation will improve our public transit system, create good-paying jobs, replace any pipes that have been contaminated with lead, enhance highway safety and more. Our next step is the Senate, and I am confident that they will see the value of such an important investment and act with haste.”

These local projects and Rep. Houlahan’s efforts to secure funding have been met with praise from local leaders.

“The INVEST in America Act represents an incredible opportunity to transform how transit is funded and prioritized as part of the nation’s transportation network, and we are grateful for Representative Houlahan’s efforts to include SEPTA’s Exton Station Intermodal Connectivity project as a Member Designated Project,” said SEPTA General Manager/CEO Leslie S. Richards. “Enhancing bus and rail connections is a critical piece of SEPTA’s first-ever comprehensive bus network redesign, and these funds would help us deliver improvements for customers traveling to and from Chester County.”

“This innovative project on the 222 hard shoulder will help traffic flow in this congested area,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “We are grateful for the support of our federal partners in securing funding for this project that will benefit the region.”

“These projects are a priority for the region,” said PennDOT Acting District 5 Executive Chris Kufro. “And we appreciate Rep. Houlahan’s support to fund transportation projects that help the Commonwealth.”

The INVEST in America Act would, among other initiatives:

• Deliver better roads and bridges faster by increasing investment by 54 percent, with an emphasis on fixing existing infrastructure.
• Ensure bridges in Pennsylvania of all sizes are safer, more reliable and more resilient.
• Invests $4 billion in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, helping the U.S. shift to the next generation of clean vehicles.
• Reduce carbon pollution and invest in mitigation and resiliency improvements; also advance the development and utilization of green construction materials.
• Make roads in Chester and Berks counties safer with a significant boost to roadway safety programs, record levels of investment in walking and cycling infrastructure, complete streets planning and smarter road design and safe routes to schools.
• Focus transportation planning to promote mobility and facilitate access to jobs and other essential services.
• Target investments to areas of persistent poverty, rural communities, Tribes and other continually disadvantaged areas.
• Make record investments in transit, including SEPTA, to increase routes, reduce the transit maintenance backlog and provide more frequent service, resulting in better options for riders, improved environmental outcomes and increased access to jobs and essential destinations.
• Scale up investment in zero-emission transit vehicles, supporting fleet conversion to reduce local air pollution and related health impacts. These investments are paired with strong Buy America requirements and provisions for workforce training to ensure America can compete in the clean energy economy.
• Triple funding for Amtrak to $32 billion, allowing for enhanced service, ADA upgrades and investments to renew and support service on the Northeast Corridor and long-distance and state-supported routes.
  

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee.

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