Tom Marino: “I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill to reauthorize commercial traffic along Route 209…”

“I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill to reauthorize commercial traffic along Route 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. For nearly 5 months now, uncertainty has reigned over this 21-mile stretch of road that is running through my district. Over 30 years ago, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania--as the chairman so eloquently stated--transferred Route 209, then a State road, to the National Park Service. As commercial thru traffic is banned on roads within our national parks, it would also be so on this stretch of Route 209; but, at that time, a 10-year exemption was made to support the local freight transportation industry and because acceptable alternative routes were unavailable. After multiple extensions, the most recent commercial vehicle authorization expired at the end of September of 2015. To address the problem, county and township officials from the surrounding areas met with the National Park Service and my staff to negotiate a new plan. They recognized the continued need to allow some commercial vehicle access, and they settled on the carefully crafted language we are considering today. The work to produce this extension acknowledges the continued need of employers, businesses, and homeowners I represent in Pike and Monroe Counties. The expiration in September cast a cloud on the local business community and put countless jobs in jeopardy.…”