The Coalition’s first candidate briefing was held this week. Despite the nasty rain storm Monday morning, 15 candidates for the Pennsylvania General Assembly met with Coalition members, and we could not have been more pleased with the turnout.
Th
e meeting was hosted by Jay Cleveland at Cleveland Brothers’ office in Murrysville. We thank Jay for his hospitality.
The hour-long dialogue with candidates covered some of the mechanics, and the many regional benefits, of Act 89 in highway and transit improvements. Many thanks to Lucinda Beatty of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership for helping to get KTFC supporters and legislative candidates out to the meeting.
We have secured venues for four more meetings in October in State College, King of Prussia, Philadelphia Center City and Harrisburg, and we are working on a fifth in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
Transportation Issue Update
- Centre County’s University Park Airport has received a $9 million grant to address parking and access needs as the number of passengers and commercial flights continue to increase.
- In a small but symbolic step to address climate change, 19 American cities have pledged to incorporate electric vehicles into their municipal fleets. Emissions from transportation sources was the biggest source of U.S. carbon emissions in 2016.
- SEPTA, taking a cue from its Vancouver counterpart, is looking for its own celebrity native voice to help engage with its ridership and promote public transportation in Philly. The Vancouver voice is Canadian-born actor Seth Rogen.
- In other Philly transit news, SEPTA has wrapped up its $5 million Yardley Station improvement project, which among other things makes the station ADA compliant.
- And in highway news, the most expensive project in PennDOT District 8 history is underway. The I-83 widening project near the junction with I-81 came in at $104.7 million.