Shuster Toll Credits Language Included in Transportation Conference Report

Press Release

Congressman Bill Shuster is pleased to announce that the bicameral, bipartisan agreement reached on a major transportation reform bill includes language allowing toll credits to be used as matching funds for routes on the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS).

"Completing Route 219 has long been one of my highest priorities in Congress," Shuster said. "Transportation is critical to competiveness, job creation, and our quality of life. This critical north-south route will open the door to greater economic development and a higher standard of living for everyone in this important transportation corridor."

"Last March, I introduced legislation to allow toll credits to be used as matching funds for routes on the Appalachian Development Highway System, which Route 219 is a part of," Shuster added. "Including this toll credits language in the transportation conference report removes a barrier that has been standing in the way of completing Route 219."

The last highway bill, which was signed into law in 2005, prohibited the use of toll credits as matching funds for routes in the Appalachian Development Highway System, which Route 219 is a part of. Shuster's language would remove the prohibition, allowing Pennsylvania to move forward and complete the final stage of Route 219.

In April, Congressman Shuster was named as conferee to the transportation bill by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH). In his capacity as a conferee and as the only member of the Pennsylvania delegation on the conference committee, Shuster represented the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during House and Senate negotiations and played an active role in crafting the final conference report. A majority of the House and Senate conferees approved the conference report late Wednesday night, and the House and Senate are expected to take up the measure before the end of the week, prior to the expiration of the current extension of transportation funding on June 30th.

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