PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 1
New I-83 interchange coming to York County in 2019, plus other projects
Work on a new, $25.5 million to $30 million interchange at the Shrewsbury exit of Interstate 83 starts in the new year, according to PennDOT.
PennDOT seeks feedback to improve roads, operations
People in northwestern Pennsylvania are being asked to fill out an online survey to rate areas like road smoothness, traffic flow, construction, and safety. Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are invited to give their opinions.
PennDOT puts finishing touches on 2018 construction season in north central PA
The district, covering Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties, opened bids for 52 contracts totaling nearly $124.6 million in value.
Long-delayed REAL ID licenses coming to PA
After more than 13 years of delay, Pennsylvania will begin complying with the federal REAL ID Act in March.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 3, No. 49
Dennis Martire: Transportation infrastructure glue for blue coalition
For the Democratic Party, the road to the 2018 elections began the day after the presidential ballots were counted two years ago.
Central PA to host automated vehicle testing
Several central Pennsylvania counties are cleared to host automated vehicle testing. PennDOT has given the green light for this testing and laid out rules to keep people safe on the road.
Penn State Altoona receives gift to advance rail transportation engineering
Charles N. “Charlie” Marshall, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, has made a transformational gift to support the Rail Transportation Engineering degree program at Penn State Altoona.
Uber hopes to restore self-driving operations in a matter of weeks as it races toward a possible IPO
For a majority of the year, Uber’s self-driving Volvo SUVs have been either absent from city streets or operating with the help of human safety drivers in the wake of a fatal accident involving one of the vehicles.
Wolf administration announces investments to improve 26 airports
Twenty-six airports will make infrastructure and equipment upgrades to maintain safety and expand aviation-related operational and economic opportunities with the assistance of over $6 million in state investments, Gov. Tom Wolf announced.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 3, No. 48
I-83 study calls for $280 million to widen interstate, more
A comprehensive study of Interstate 83 dubbed the “I-83 Master Plan” is recommending widening the roadway to six lanes, creating new interchanges and more in anticipation of predicted progressively worse congestion.
Bus operators warn plan will cost state millions and lead to fare hikes
A move to merge management of the state’s busing services for Medicaid clients will cost the state millions and likely lead to increased fares and poorer service for riders, an analysis by the trade group representing Pennsylvania’s county transit agencies maintains.
Doing some holiday driving in Pennsylvania? This column won’t brighten your spirits.
The kicker here is that our infrastructure would be much better if our lawmakers were any better at budgeting and following the law rather than maintaining a track record of raiding funds dedicated for road and bridges.
Port of Philadelphia plans to open new training center in the new year
The Port of Philadelphia plans to open a Regional Maritime Training Center in Southwest Philadelphia early in the new year. This is a first-of-its kind initiative, as there’s never been formal training for the tractor trailer drivers, forklift and crane operators at the port.
Driverless trucks to make work zones safer
Governor Tom Wolf has signed legislation that allows the use of automated work zone vehicles by PennDOT and the Turnpike Commission.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 3, No. 47
Public-Private Partnership Board approves innovative bridge plan
The Pennsylvania Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board recently approved a bridge bundling Adjusted Bid, Design-Build proposal to reconstruct 15 bridges along two interstates in Luzerne County.
PennDOT announces progress on bridge project
PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said Saturday that the state’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project is near completion, as most of the 558 poor-condition bridges listed for the public-private partnership have been completed.
Wolf sees bipartisan support for addressing Pennsylvania Turnpike toll hikes
“I think there’s bipartisan support for actually taking a look at that, because I think we all recognize that’s unsustainable,” Wolf said.
Police to disband in town where teen was killed as he fled
The town where an unarmed teenager was shot and killed by an officer is disbanding its police department, and Pennsylvania State Police will provide police services there starting this weekend.
Which PA counties see the most deadly vehicle crashes?
Here’s a look at the crash statistics for each county in 2017, based on data provided by PennDOT.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 3, No. 46
With new law on books, PA aims to be a vanguard of autonomous vehicle technology
Not content to bask in the glow of their legislative victory last month, supporters of self-driving vehicle technologies in Pennsylvania are already moving forward on their plans to make the state a hotbed for the still-embryonic industry.
What’s driving the increase in truck traffic?
According to PennDOT, northeastern Pennsylvania has more miles of interstate than any other region in the state, and those interstates can take trucks to a third of the U.S. population in a day’s drive.
Route 219 officially opens for public use
After 16 years of planning and construction, a new section of Route 219 in Somerset County has opened for the public to use. The 11-mile stretch is four lanes, providing a safer and more efficient route for drivers between Somerset and Meyersdale. The route will also be connected to Route 68 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the future allowing economic growth to the Somerset and Meyersdale communities.
