PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 34
6 transportation goals Congress should be thinking about
Too often, the debate over transportation funding in Congress revolves around dollars and cents. But many advocates say we should agree on big goals first, so we know what we’re getting for the money we spend.
Report ranks Pa. 35th in highway performance and cost-effectiveness
Pennsylvania’s highway system ranks 35th in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, according to the Annual Highway Report by Reason Foundation. This is a six-spot increase from the previous report, where Pennsylvania ranked 41st overall.
Rep. Fred Keller visits PA-12 transportation facilities
In an effort to better understand where state infrastructure can be improved and how local communities are working to make improvements, U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, spent Tuesday afternoon touring Centre County transportation facilities.
SEPTA GM Jeff Knueppel to retire, PennDOT secretary eyed as replacement
Multiple high-level sources inside the agency said that PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards is being seriously considered as the next GM. Busch said the SEPTA board has not selected a final candidate, much less met to vote on a replacement.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 33
PennDOT didn’t send savings from registration stickers to law enforcement: Here’s why
PennDOT officials said in 2016 that the department might use the savings from eliminating license plate stickers to fund expensive cameras for police departments. That never happened.
Police split over necessity of bringing registration stickers back to Pa. license plates
Police in Pennsylvania are divided as to whether registration stickers should be brought back to license plates.
House panel hears concerns for PA vehicle registration
The committee heard testimony on two bills that address issues stemming from the implementation of the no-sticker requirement in late 2016.
License plate readers gain support for crime-fighting, but bill would address privacy concerns
Rothman has introduced a bill that would regulate how both ALPRs and the data they collect are used. He says the bill wouldn’t only help law enforcement but could also protect Pennsylvanian’s privacy.
Lawmakers might bring back license plate stickers with a new twist
The state House Transportation Committee is considering a bill to reinstate those little vehicle registration stickers on Pennsylvania license plates.
U.S. appeals court hands truckers defeat in Pa. Turnpike toll suit
High tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike do not violate the right of truckers and other motorists to travel between states, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, upholding a lower-court dismissal of a lawsuit against state agencies and officials.
How Pa. transportation secretary is shifting the infrastructure conversation
Secretary Leslie Richards is trying to re-engineer the engineering process by making community engagement a top priority.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 32
Storms, floods cause $1.2B damage to public infrastructure
The Associated Press tallied about $1.2 billion of damage in 24 states based on preliminary assessments of public infrastructure categories established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The tally includes damage to roads and bridges, utilities, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, and parks.
PennDOT has plans for Lancaster County spot notorious for congestion
There is a $40-million plan to ease congestion in Lancaster County. PennDOT plans to add lanes and make a stretch of Route 222 in Manheim Township a six-lane highway. PennDOT hopes to ease congestion where Routes 30 meets 222.
Uber and Lyft suggest the days of cheap rides could be over
THE DAYS OF cheap ride-hailing may be ending. Uber and Lyft reported quarterly financial results this week and indicated that their cutthroat competition to woo riders with coupons and other gambits is easing.
A wider Route 22 is still a priority, despite $380M cut to Lehigh Valley transportation
The futures of many local transportation projects are uncertain after PennDOT’s announcement last month that $380 million will be cut from long-range Lehigh Valley transportation projects. One project seems sure to stay: The planned widening of Route 22.
State hoping Restore Pennsylvania gets funding to fix rural roads
Two administrators from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation came to the PennDOT Stockpile off Route 99 in Cambridge Township on Monday to discuss how Restore Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf’s statewide plan to aggressively address the commonwealth’s infrastructure, could improve roads across the county and region.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 31
Pennsylvania’s gas tax no longer highest
After having the nation’s highest gasoline tax for more than four years, the Keystone State was bumped to second place on July 1, when a tax increase in California took effect.
City of Pittsburgh seeking public input on transportation vision
PGH MOBILITY 2070 will establish a framework to guide investment, development, and management in a network of transportation infrastructure, information, and services that could support the city’s needs if its population grows from the current 302,000 residents to 450,000 residents over the next 50 years.
Lawmakers reach deal for $3 billion to repair ailing bridges
Senators have brokered a deal to reauthorize the highway trust fund for another five years, proposing to spend an unprecedented $287 billion on surface transportation projects.
PennDOT agrees to deploy automated speed enforcement unit in fall in I-78 work zones
State Senators David Argall (R-29) and Judith L. Schwank (D-11) have announced that PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards has agreed to their joint request to deploy automated speed enforcement units in work zones along Interstate 78 in Berks County when they become available this fall.
V-tolls: What they are and why you might be paying them if you travel the Pa. Turnpike
Mysterious charges appeared on E-ZPass statements of Pennsylvania Turnpike customers at least 350,000 times over the course of a year. Called V-tolls, these are $10 charges incurred by E-ZPass users when an E-ZPass transponder doesn’t get read as a vehicle exits the turnpike.
Pa.’s four-year-long partnership to fix 558 bridges approaches its conclusion
PennDOT and its Rapid Bridge Replacement Project development partner, Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, recently started construction on the 558th and final bridge in the program.
Who needs a valet? Cars in this garage can park themselves
Parking-related crashes happen at lower speeds, so they’re fortunately less likely to hurt or kill people (or get reported to police). But they’re costly, and insurance companies are very interested in getting rid of them. Basically: The world would be better without parking.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 4, No. 30
Study: Half of teens who die in Pa. crashes aren’t wearing a seat belt
More than half of teens who died in crashes in 2016 were not wearing a seat belt. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says seat belt use is the most important factor in preventing death.
Pennsylvania needs a transportation-funding fix
Pennsylvania gets a big chunk of its transportation money from the feds. The feds want more of that cash to go the 1,300 miles of interstate highways in Pennsylvania. That means less for state roads and bridges.
Inclined Plane rehab grinds to halt; turnpike lawsuit delays state grant
A major rehabilitation of the Johnstown Inclined Plane has been put on hold by a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Pennsylvania Turnpike using technology to clear accident scenes quicker
In the year since the turnpike began using the app, the turnpike has seen the average delay for accidents and other incidents reduced from an hour and 46 minutes to 1:18.
4 drivers rack up more than $21,000 in unpaid tolls on Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is continuing to crack down on toll cheats. Authorities have charged four more drivers with theft for repeatedly dodging tolls at Pennsylvania Turnpike entrances in Bucks County.
$380 million in PennDOT funding cuts could triple the amount of time to complete roadwork
PennDOT is cutting the region’s transportation funding by $380 million over the next 12 years.
