Aug. 21—HARRISBURG — The fact that 12% of local- and state-owned bridges in greater Pittsburgh are in poor shape was one of the concerning facts laid out for state lawmakers Wednesday as a group of them kicked off a series of eight meetings around Pennsylvania focused on transportation.

The 2024-25 budget agreement of $47.6 billion finalized in early July included investments of an additional $80 million in public transit and $80 million for roads and bridges. The former figure was about $200 million less than what Gov. Josh Shapiro wanted, and the latter was relatively tiny compared to billions of dollars in possible projects.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, said the panel would go around the state in the weeks ahead to hear presentations on "all aspects of transportation." Those will include airports, work force, and ports on bodies of water. The hope is to create a new plan for more funding when lawmakers return to Harrisburg next month.

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