HARRISBURG — Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch said Wednesday that opposition to a new law that raises billions of dollars in higher fees and taxes to fund transportation needs has not surprised him, and has been countered by support from those who believe passage of the legislation was the right thing to do.

Lawmakers passed the major transportation bill two weeks ago to fix roads, rebuild bridges and help the state’s mass transit systems.

The new law will be phased in over five years and will raise gasoline taxes at the wholesale level plus levy a range of motorist fees to eventually generate more than $2.3 billion annually.

Schoch said he and Republican Gov. Tom Corbett spent a lot of time talking about alternatives.

“The governor and I have discussed this every possible way, how you might finance this,” Schoch said. “If you ask anyone to pay more for anything — I don’t care whether it’s for transportation services or if your cable bill comes that they’re increasing it by 20 percent — no one’s ever happy about paying more for what they perceive to be the same service.”

Corbett ruled out new taxes and motorist fee increases when he ran for office in 2010, but this year made the transportation bill a major priority. Schoch said the most common reaction he’s encountered has been to congratulate him for doing something that will help the state’s economy and improve safety for years to come.

He said talk of promising special projects to get the bill passed is “comical” because a decade’s worth of needs has been laid out on the department’s website, a list that lawmakers helped create.