Flex funding of transit and roads

==Media==
===Officials will fight Rendell on roads===
:by Jim Ritchie, TRIBUNE-REVIEW October 13, 2006, 
Some transportation leaders say they aren't willing to
let Gov. Ed Rendell use federal highway money again to
bail out the cash-strapped Port Authority of Allegheny
County.
"I don't think the votes are there -- I don't think
even if the Pope called, the votes would be there,"
said Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns,
chairman of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
Commission members anticipate Rendell will try to tap
federal highway money to help the Port Authority. He
hinted as much earlier this month in a meeting with a
Harrisburg newspaper.
The commission must approve any diversion of highway
money to transit, a maneuver know as a "flex." The
commission and PennDOT decide how to spend highway,
bridge and transit money in the 10-county region.
The Port Authority wants lawmakers to provide a better
funding stream to help with a $31.5 million deficit in
2007. The agency expects to run out of money in
January.
Rendell told the Patriot-News he would be willing to
divert federal highway money "possibly for a month or
two, here or there" to help the Port Authority and
other transit agencies. He offered no additional
details.
Rendell's Transportation Funding and Reform Commission
is expected to issue a report Nov. 15 identifying
statewide transportation problems and possible
solutions.
"As you know, it is too soon to say what will come of
the Transportation Funding Commission, but as the
governor says here, he hopes not to have to flex more
money," Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said in an
e-mail response.
She did not return repeated follow-up telephone
messages.
Beaver County Commissioner Charles Camp said his
county lost between $9 million and $14 million in
highway and bridge money in 2005 when Rendell diverted
$412 million to prevent fare hikes and route cuts at
the Port Authority and the Southeastern Pennsylvania
Transportation Authority in Philadelphia.
"We're expecting it to happen again," Camp said.
"Until the Legislature gets off their butts and
resolves the funding stream problem we're going to be
faced with this crisis again," said Westmoreland
County Commissioner Tom Balya, a commission member.
If Rendell proposes diverting highway funds, there
will be pressure on fellow Democrats to approve it,
Balya said. There is pressure locally to keep
hard-to-get highway and bridge dollars.
The diversion would involve spending money intended to
pay for patching potholes, fixing bridges and paving
highways instead to create a Band-Aid fix for mass
transit agencies.
Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove said he is unaware
of a plan to bail out the agency.
Butler County Commissioner Jim Kennedy, an SPC member,
said the governor only would be robbing highway
projects of money by giving it to transit agencies.
"I don't think you're going to find members there
willing to flex dollars again," he said.
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