Unanimity sometimes seems hard to come by these days, but the Pennsylvania Senate has unanimously approved a measure aimed at improving safety for tow-truck drivers, emergency responders and others whose jobs take them close to moving traffic.
The “Move Over” law, formerly known as the “Steer Clear” law, was approved in 2017. The new version requires drivers to move over when approaching emergency response areas, or if that’s not possible, to slow to at least 20 mph below the speed limit. Failure to do so would result in assigning two points to the driver’s operating license and fines ranging from $200 to $2,000.
The measure was sponsored by Sen. Kim Ward, Republican chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
TRANSPORTATION ISSUE UPDATE
- The “Move Over” bill passed by a 49-0 vote in the Pennsylvania Senate this week.
- The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has designated an 85-mile stretch of a planned Schuylkill-to-Susquehanna highway as a major greenway, enabling it to receive the highest priority in allocation of trail funds.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and PennDOT will hold a free public informational webinar on the benefits and basics of driving electric vehicles on Sept. 30 at 11 a.m., and again on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. as part of National Drive Electric Week. Click this link for details.
- After suspending the issuance of Real ID’s because of the coronavirus pandemic and extending the deadline for a year, PennDOT is resuming the program.
- Our friends at the American Lung Association released a report called “Road to Clean Air,” which says that transitioning to zero-emissions electric vehicles by 2050 could save thousands of lives and improve our climate and economy.
- While the PA Turnpike receives a lot of attention for its toll increases, tolls are also going up on the New Jersey Turnpike, Atlantic City Expressway and Garden State Parkway.
- The impending public transportation funding crisis could result in the loss of many manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.