Economy & Infrastructure

Joe believes the best way to stimulate the economy is by investing in modernizing our aging infrastructure. Whether it be transportation infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and airports, or water, waste, energy, and communication infrastructure that ensures quality of life, such investment will create jobs and help grow the commonwealth’s economy. Joe’s plan to stimulate the economy and fix our infrastructure includes:

  • Expanding public transit

  • Climate-proofing our infrastructure

  • Investing in our supply chain

Expanding Public Transit

Joe supports adequately investing in and expanding our existing public transportation infrastructure. This will not only help combat traffic congestion, but it also lower carbon emissions, automotive pollution, and vehicular crash fatalities.

Joe believes improving our mass transit system should be at the forefront of every discussion surrounding climate change as it relates to transportation. While electric cars are certainly more energy efficient, they are still cars on the road that lead to congestion and crashes. We also must be concerned with how the electricity used to charge them is generated. As we increase density across Philadelphia and beyond, we need our mass transit to reflect that. Making access to mass transit more convenient and more efficient will encourage people to drive their personal cars less frequently, if at all. 

Philadelphia cannot be a world class city without a world class public transport system that incorporates all the different and various ways people and goods move through our society.

Climate-Proofing our Infrastructure

Joe supports pro-active investments to climate-proof Pennsylvania. We are long overdue for an overhaul of our aging infrastructure, especially amidst the increasing threat of the looming climate crisis. Philadelphia especially needs to become more resilient to the changing climate.

As we saw last year, flooding from Hurricane Ida turned the Vine Street Expressway (I-676) into a canal after a pump station failure. With extreme weather events becoming increasingly common, these sorts of catastrophic failures in our aging infrastructure will only become more frequent. 

Investing in our Supply Chain

As a member of the PhilaPort Advisory Council, Joe fought to secure $240 million to invest in family-sustaining, union jobs for Philadelphia and the 177th District. Given its location along the Delaware River, the neighborhoods of the 177th District stand to benefit significantly from infrastructure investments in our ports. Increasing access and upgrading existing facilities will not only create local household sustaining jobs, but it will also serve to kick start the economic engine of Philadelphia and the surrounding area.