The PennDOT press office has been busy in the last week or two, pitching and/or responding to stories regarding the state of Pennsylvania’s transportation system. The catalyst appeared to be the biennial update produced by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission.
Thanks to the passage of Act 89 more than 15 months ago, there was some good news to go along with the bad. And while we knew the condition of the infrastructure would not improve overnight, we are certainly pleased to see it’s headed in the right direction.
It also is good to see PennDOT continuing to talk up the benefits of the funding act. As we roll into the 2015 construction season, it will become even more important to remind the motoring public that the congestion and delays that result from road construction ultimately yields positive results.
It’s interesting to see how different news organizations covered the update. We offer four in the links below.
Additionally, a national group known as the Transportation Construction Coalition was the impetus behind a letter signed by nearly 300 members of Congress expressing support for a long-term federal surface transportation bill. The signees comprised a majority of both parties, and Pennsylvania was very well represented. The letter and its signees can be viewed here.
Transportation Issue Update
- PennDOT Secretary-designee Leslie Richards unveiled a biennial update on Pennsylvania’s transportation performance, showing progress in improving safety and improving mobility. The report can be viewed here.
- And here are updates from the Patriot-News, the Tribune-Review, the Citizens Voice and Associated Press.
- In other news, PennDOT Secretary-designee Richards announced that a $9.7 million state investment will improve safety and operations at six Pennsylvania airports.
- Permanent repairs will need to wait for warmer weather, but PennDOT can temporarily fill potholes with cold mix. All the public needs to do is call 1-800-FIX-ROAD.
- U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan suggested that comprehensive tax reform could be the solution for funding infrastructure improvements.
- The Post-Gazette and others covered a report on improving Amtrak service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
- The Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority is replacing about one-third of its fleet with natural gas-fueled buses, taking advantage of federal and state money that’s available and contracting with a company that will build fueling stations for the authority and the public.