A House committee approved two bills Monday designed to help municipalities meet transportation needs.

The Transportation Committee voted unanimously for an amended House Bill 2266, sponsored by state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester, providing a greater financial incentive for municipalities taking ownership of state-owned roads.

The committee voted unanimously for House Bill 2469 sponsored by state Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, enabling local governments to form public-private partnerships (P3s) to launch local transportation projects.

HB2266 updates PennDOT’s existing road turnback program created in 1981 to help municipalities operate state-owned roads serving local traffic.

The bill provides for an annual PennDOT maintenance payment of $6,000 a mile for roads that have been turned back to the locals under the program.

This represents a $2,000 increase from the current $4,000-a-mile payment set in a 2006 state law if enacted. It applies to municipalities already in the program.

The committee amended HB2266 to remove a provision requiring a payment increase every two years pegged to inflation.

Shusterman said inflation during the past 20 years means the $4,000 payment doesn’t go as far due to higher construction and material costs.

Pennsylvania launched the road turnback program to help shrink one of the largest networks of state-owned roads in the nation.

It was common practice for lawmakers 60 years ago to introduce bills to turn over local roads to state ownership.

Municipalities benefit from turn backs by gaining local control of certain roads and being able to respond quicker to the needs of residents, according to PennDOT.

Transportation Majority Chair Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, said there’s work underway to update the turnback program.

P3s for local governments

HB2469 allows local governments to use public-private partnerships (P3s) for the engineering, construction, operation and maintenance of a transportation project or facility.

If enacted, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the 67 counties could use a transportation financing avenue already available to the state government.

The state P3 board would have to approve local public-private partnerships under HB2469.

These public-private partnerships would enable local officials to undertake transportation projects more quickly and efficiently, said Powell.