Powell introduces bill to expand public-private transportation projects
Would allow all counties, as well as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, to use partnerships
Rep. Lindsay Powell April 29, 2026 | 12:42 PM
HARRISBURG, April 29 – Pennsylvania has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country, and local governments are facing major difficulty and expenses in funding projects—especially for transportation purposes. This is why state Rep. Lindsay Powell has introduced legislation that would allow local governments to take part in public-private partnerships to improve transportation infrastructure.
House Bill 2469 would allow all counties, as well as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, to use public-private partnerships, also known as P3s, which authorize governments to coordinate with private entities for the engineering, construction, operation, financing and maintenance of a transportation project or facility.
“From aging bridges and congested corridors to major transit and roadway upgrades, we have all seen transportation projects in our communities that need urgent support,” said Powell, D-Allegheny. “These projects can be daunting to take on, especially because taxpayers are footing the bill. My legislation would allow counties to partner with private groups to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects more efficiently and cost-effectively.”
Current law allows only PennDOT and certain transportation agencies to use P3s. With this legislation, the current P3 process would remain unchanged.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave Pennsylvania’s infrastructure a grade of C- in 2022, with much of the state’s transportation infrastructure being rated lower, including roads (C-), bridges (D+) and transit (D). The bill was referred to the House Transportation Committee for consideration, where it is scheduled for a vote at 11 a.m. Monday, May 4 in Room 515, Irvis Office Building, State Capitol Complex.