COATESVILLE, PA – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) welcomed White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, Governor Tom Wolf, and other state and community leaders to the Coatesville Train Station for a site walkthrough. There, they discussed the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and provided updates on key projects in Coatesville and across Pennsylvania.

“Just a few months after Hurricane Ida tore through Coatesville, Congress passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Houlahan following the event. “For a community needing to rebuild, these federal resources couldn’t have come soon enough. We are now seeing local projects supercharged and slated for construction because of these investments, and today we saw great progress on the Coatesville Train Station. I’m thankful for the coordination from all levels of government—from the White House to City Council—to rebuild our infrastructure and support Pennsylvania families and businesses.”

Below are excerpts from the event:

“Communities like Coatesville have too often been left out and left behind, but Joe Biden is building a better community for all of us—rural, urban, and suburban alike,” said Ashley McBride, State Director of For Our Future Pennsylvania.

“This train station is transforming our community, even in the state that it’s in. We stand in position to offer wonderful, livable wage jobs to our residents, which will translate into our youth in school,” said Linda Lavender-Norris, City Council President of the City of Coatesville. “The project itself is truly amazing, and we've been working on it for quite a while. It won’t be long until you look down the 4th Avenue side of Fleetwood and see a beautiful new train station.”

“This project exemplifies how important it is to invest in transportation, and with the new federal funding that is coming through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will make more critical investments in transportation such as this one,” said Yassmin Gramian, Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation.

“This infrastructure bill is truly a transformational bill, for all of us in the state of Pennsylvania and the entire country,” said Governor Tom Wolf. “This is a game changer for the Pennsylvania transportation system.”

Governor Wolf continued: “Infrastructure affects everything we do, from where we live, where we work, how we live, how we visit family, how we visit friends, how we get around. Good infrastructure supports stronger communities, improves the quality of life, promotes economic development, and promotes growth…An investment IS an investment in our communities and the people who bring them to life. The investments in infrastructure we have received will help us reach our infrastructure needs well past the 21st century, and help fund more projects like this and jobs, so that communities like Coatesville can continue growing and continue thriving.”

“To all the men and women that are working on this project that are getting their hands dirty and sweating and doing what is necessary to bring a paycheck home: the President is intent on making sure that work is readily available to everybody and comes with great dignity,” said Mitch Landrieu, White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator. “He understands that you can't build this country without the people who do the work.”

“To Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, she was being modest. The truth of the matter is something like this doesn't happen like accident. It happens by purpose and by courage, and she along with some Democrats and courageous Republicans actually did something that everybody in this country agreed on.”

Landrieu concluded: “Before you know it, Coatesville is going to be a happening place. The next song that’s written is going to be the next train to Coatesville, not Clarksville. And somebody from here is going to write it.”

Watch the livestream here, starting at 00:32.

Regarding stormwater investment in the wake of Hurricane Ida’s historic flooding: 

·       IIJA reauthorizes the existing sewer overflow and stormwater reuse municipal grants program with increased funding of $280 million each year for five years, including a 25% set aside for projects in rural or financially distressed communities 

·       IIJA also authorizes $50 million (over five years) for a new competitive grant for stormwater control infrastructure projects incorporating new and emerging but proven stormwater control technologies. 

Based on historic formula funding, the White House anticipates Pennsylvania receiving the following infrastructure improvements with federal funding:

·       Repair and rebuild roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Based on formula funding, Pennsylvania would expect to receive $11.3 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.6 billion for bridge replacement and repairs.

• Improve health, sustainable transportation options. Through formula funding, Pennsylvania expects to receive $2.8 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the commonwealth.

• Build a network of electronic vehicle (EV) chargers to facilitate long-distance travel and provide convenient charging options. Pennsylvania expects to receive $171 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network across the commonwealth.

• Help connect every Pennsylvanian to reliable high-speed internet. Pennsylvania will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the commonwealth, including providing access to the at least 394,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack coverage. Additionally, 23 percent of Pennsylvanians will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access.

• Prepare more of our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change, cyber-attacks, and extreme weather events. Based on historical formula funding levels, Pennsylvanian will expect to receive $49 million over five years to protect against wildfires and $26 million to protect against cyber-attacks. Pennsylvanians will also benefit from the bill’s historic $3.5 billion national investment in weatherization which will reduce energy costs for families.

• Deliver clean drinking water to Pennsylvanians. Based on the traditional state revolving fund formula, Pennsylvania will expect to receive $1.4 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure and ensure clean, safe drinking water throughout the commonwealth.

• Improve commonwealth airports. Pennsylvania’s airports expect to receive $355 million for infrastructure improvements over the next five years.

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. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward.”

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