One of the recurring themes of this newsletter is that all the various modes of mobility constitute a single, integrated transportation system serving all residents in all corners of the Commonwealth. Driving, public transportation, passenger and freight rail, air and waterway transportation, bicycling and walking to move people, materials and products from Point A to Point B are all essential pieces of this integrated system.
In that spirit, we take the opportunity this week to help our friends at the Rail Passengers Association promote their Mid-Atlantic Northern Region meeting, which will be Saturday, March 19, in Harrisburg. The region includes Delaware and New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania.
PennDOT Deputy Secretary Jennie Granger will be the featured speaker, and there will also be a presentation by Manny DeMutis, who will discuss a project to bring passenger rail to Phoenixville, PA.
The event is scheduled from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and includes a hot buffet lunch. The location is train and bus-passenger friendly.
Transportation Issue Update
- The fourth and final contract has been awarded for the construction of the northern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway.
- Beets, molasses and cheese brine may sound like an interesting epicurean creation, but they are also ingredients that can help reduce reliance on salt to de-ice roadways. Doing so would reduce pollution and lessen the corrosive impact of salt on roads and bridges.
- PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards announced that more than 1,850 projects in more than 750 municipalities have been completed through the department’s “PennDOT Connects” transportation planning process.
- The King of Prussia Rail Project has reached two milestones within the month as SEPTA approved a contract to advance further engineering of the KOP rail extension of the Norristown High Speed Line.
- The Commonwealth wasn’t kidding when it banned commercial vehicles on various highways during a recent snow storm, as State Police issued nearly 1,000 citations and 222 warnings to drivers who disregarded the ban.
- Public transportation officials in Indianapolis are changing the way they serve riders to better accommodate those in disadvantaged communities.