PHIA News Digest – Vol. 8, No.18
Pa. traffic deaths fall 4% after increasing for years
Statewide traffic deaths fell to 1,179 in 2022, compared with 1,230 in 2021 (a 4% drop), according to data released by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Overall crashes, too, have dropped: the agency noted reportable crashes fell to their second-lowest level since 1951.
State police want more women on the force as vacancies pile up
In keeping with the governor’s strategy to incentivize residents to pursue work in critically short-staffed essential services, the Pennsylvania State Police has focused its efforts on recruiting more women into the force.
Buttigieg says ‘now is the time’ to push for rail safety
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says he has not forgotten East Palestine even months after the train derailment. On Tuesday, First News had a chance to get his views on President Joe Biden’s budget proposal. Buttigieg says it calls for safety enhancements in all modes of transportation.
Hopes rise for more communal transportation planning
As the public response window for PennDOT’s biennial transportation survey closes, state and local officials hope future spending plans go beyond crumbling highways.
Multimodal trail project to start soon in Erie County
The project will include installing the multi-use trail for enhanced safety along the side of the Edinboro Rd. from the entrance of the Edinboro Cemetery to the south entrance of the Giant Eagle Plaza. PennDOT said construction is expected to begin on Monday, and is expected to be completed by September 2023.
For Philadelphia transit, a canceled project could be a blessing
The scrubbed rail extension illustrates the financial crisis at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and at other transit agencies around the country. Still, some advocates say it’s an opportunity, too.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 8, No. 17
‘King of Asphalt’ Bud Shuster dies at age 91
Former Rep. Bud Shuster of Pennsylvania, a congressional power broker whose mastery of earmarked spending and highway projects in the 1990s earned him the sobriquet “King of Asphalt,” died Wednesday at age 91.
Charles Anderson Bridge may now be closed until 2025
An update from the city Tuesday indicates the Charles Anderson Bridge, closed since February, may stay closed into 2025. A post on the rehabilitation project’s page said repairs are “anticipated to take two construction seasons, with the possibility of extending into a third season.”
SEPTA launches on-demand transit
The Philadelphia suburbs will soon have a new transit option thanks to an on-demand service from SEPTA. Riders will be able to request a lift through their phones and see when a driver could arrive. SEPTA says there will be a 30-minute response time from the initial request.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 8, No. 16
This is National Work Zone Awareness Week
PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the Pennsylvania State Police and Associated Pennsylvania Constructors hosted an event urging motorists to slow down and pay attention in work zones ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Speed detection cameras keeping work zones safer
That pilot ends this year but Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll is urging the General Assembly to extend it or make it a permanent program.
Developments will increase Route 15 traffic volumes, planner predicts
Traffic volumes on a six-mile stretch of Route 15 north of Allenwood are predicted to eventually exceed what they were before the northern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway opened last July.
Support grows for Shapiro’s idea to free up more road, bridge money
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s call for a five-year phase-out of transfers from the Motor License that help to fund state police operations to free up more funding for transportation projects enjoys broad support from various sectors.
Transportation chairs get input on road and bridge funding
State Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., majority chairman of the PA House Transportation Committee, held an informational meeting Tuesday to discuss whether the Motor License Fund should be used in funding the state police. Minority chairman Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre/Mifflin joined Neilson in leading the meeting.
Here’s what PennDOT officials covered during their 12-Year Program forum
Pennsylvania residents could soon see a sharp increase in electric vehicle charging stations along state roads.
Crash deaths up across U.S. with Pa. keeping pace
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, the highest since 2005, with deaths due to speeding and impaired driving on the rise.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 8, No. 15
How Gov. Shapiro wants to fund PA State Police
In his first budget proposal as governor, Democrat Josh Shapiro aims to resolve a longstanding fiscal conundrum: funding the Pennsylvania State Police without taking money away from bridge and road repairs.
Crash deaths up across U.S. with Pa. keeping pace
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, the highest since 2005, with deaths due to speeding and impaired driving on the rise.
PennDOT announces new license plates to help grow and sustain plants
PennDOT announced that vehicle owners will now be able to purchase a ‘Pollinator’ license plate. Sixty-five percent of the proceeds from the license plate will be deposited into the Pollinator Habitat Program Fund.
Editorial: Make E-ZPass easier for low-income drivers
The Pennsylvania Turnpike was created under a simple concept: Drivers would pay tolls, and the revenue would be used to pay for operations, construction and maintenance.
Sen. Casey, PennDOT show infrastructure money at work
Federal infrastructure money is helping cover repaving work on Interstate 81 in Cumberland County, which will cost around $23.3 million.
House committee chairs back plan to cease using gas tax dollars for State Police
The majority and minority chairs of the House Transportation Committee say they will introduce legislation to reduce the amount of money siphoned out of the Motor License Fund to pay for state police operations and establish a special designated fund for state police.
Revenue Department releases March collections
In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $244.2 million for the month, $16.8 million above estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund – which include the commonly known gas and diesel taxes, as well as other license, fine and fee revenues – total $2.1 billion, which is $70.5 million, or 3.4 percent, above estimate.
Fuel tax rate changes addressed in five statehouses
Fuel tax rates are a trending transportation topic at statehouses from Utah to Pennsylvania. Advocates for trimming fuel tax collection at the state level say the time is right for the move. They cite new federal dollars for transportation purposes, higher fuel costs, and budget surpluses that could cover reductions in fuel tax collections.
PHIA News Digest – Vol. 8, No. 14
PA leaders focus on infrastructure, transportation during NLC conference
City leaders from Pennsylvania and across the country convened in Washington, D.C., last week for the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference, to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing communities, from infrastructure to transportation and public safety.
PennDOT supports speed cameras, transit-oriented development
Reconnecting communities, building more housing near transit corridors, and using speed cameras to make roads safer held lawmakers’ attention as PennDOT officials testified on Thursday.
Pa. bill would require EV infrastructure for new buildings
A Pennsylvania lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require new non-residential buildings to support electric vehicle charging. In a memo to House lawmakers, Rep. Kristine Howard (D-Chester) said the bill would require new buildings to be constructed with the necessary infrastructure to support EV charging stations.
PennDOT report highlights transportation safety efforts
PennDOT recently released its Focus on Innovations publication, which highlights innovations recently implemented across the organization to improve safety and develop more efficient processes.
Pa. Sens. Fetterman, Casey and Ohio’s Brown introduce new rail safety legislation
Democratic U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have introduced new rail safety legislation, following last month’s derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. It’s the first piece of legislation Fetterman has introduced as a U.S. senator.
