ALLENTOWN - Standing under the 81-year-old Tilghman Street Bridge in Allentown, Lehigh County, Governor Edward Rendell urged state lawmakers to do the responsible thing for Pennsylvania and find a solution to the state’s transportation funding crisis this year.

“I’ve repeatedly called on the General Assembly to set aside partisanship and act on transportation funding solutions that will not just shore up Pennsylvania’s crumbling infrastructure, but allow for real improvement in the years ahead,” Governor Rendell said. “The people of Pennsylvania understand the importance of making the right transportation investments and can accept the need for greater funding.”

In May, the state Transportation Advisory Commission issued a report that estimated Pennsylvania is short $3.5 billion a year in making investments that will keep highways, bridges and transit in a state of good repair.

“While I’m willing to work toward any sensible solution, I cannot accept a response that says now is not the right time to act,” the Governor said. “Our citizens depend on safe, reliable and efficient transportation systems that allow them to go about their lives without the risk of closed or restricted bridges, crumbling roads or disrupted public transportation routes. We owe Pennsylvania residents our full-time attention on this issue right now.”

Rendell visited the Tilghman Street Bridge as part of a four-day, cross-state tour to highlight the massive transportation needs that impact every region of Pennsylvania. The Tilghman Street Bridge was built in 1929 and although it still carries more than 23,000 vehicles every day, the bridge is structurally deficient and more than $13 million in repairs are needed.

Governor Rendell recently sent a letter to legislative leaders asking them to return to Harrisburg on Aug. 23 to continue the special session on transportation so that they can enact legislation before the scheduled October recess.

Currently, the Senate is scheduled to return to Harrisburg on Sept. 20; the House returns Sept. 13, leaving both chambers with fewer than 20 working session days left before the end of the year.