Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) Region E-Newsletter
May 19, 2011
SPC News: SPC Announces Public Participation Opportunities
You Have A Voice In Transportation Planning!
Involving the public in the regional planning processes is a high priority for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. As one means of receiving valuable public input, SPC maintains Public Participation Panels (PPPs) for each county in its transportation planning region. Citizens do not need to travel outside their own county to address SPC about anything in regional transportation planning, because through the PPPs, SPC comes to them. All PPP meetings are open to the public.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission seeks comments from the public on important draft documents prior their adoption:
Attend a Public Participation Panel meeting to hear presentations, look at maps, ask questions, and submit your comments:
May 24, 5:00 p.m., Room 104, Courthouse Square, 100 West Beau Street, Washington
May 25, 5:00 p.m., Conference Room, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, 65 West Main Street, Uniontown
May 26, 6:00 p.m., Public Meeting Room, County Government Center, 124 W. Diamond Street, Butler
May 31, 5:00 p.m., Commissioners Conference Room, County Courthouse, 810 Third Street, Beaver
June 1, 6:00 p.m., Large Group Instruction Room, Indiana Area Junior High, 245 N. Fifth Street, Indiana
June 2, 6:00 p.m., Commissioners Meeting Room, Lawrence County Courthouse, 430 Court Street, New Castle
June 7, 6:00 p.m., Commissioners Conference Room, Armstrong Courthouse Annex, 450 Market Street, Kittanning
June 7, 6:00 p.m., Commissioners Meeting Room, Courthouse Square, 2 N. Main Street, Greensburg
June 8, 6:00 p.m., 31st floor, Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
June 9, 6:00 p.m., Waynesburg University, Stover Hall, 3rd Floor, Waynesburg
Oral and written comments will be taken by SPC representatives at each meeting. Written comments can also be submitted online at www.spcregion.org; by mail to: SPC Comments, 425 Sixth Ave., Suite 2500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1852; by fax to Comments,
412-391-9160; or by e-mail to comments@spcregion.org. All comments must be received by 4:00 p.m. on June 17, 2011.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will consider these draft documents for action at their meeting on June 27, 2011 at 4:30 p.m., Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, 31st Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1852.
SPC is committed to compliance with the non-discrimination requirements of applicable civil rights statute, Executive Orders, regulations and policies. Meeting locations are accessible by persons with disabilities. Accommodations may be provided for those with special needs related to language, sight or hearing with 72 hours advance notice. If you have a request for special accommodations or desire additional information, please contact Matt Pavlosky at (412) 391-5590,
Ext. 361, or mpavlosky@spcregion.org.
TRANSIT SERVICE INFORMATION
For information regarding transit services in Allegheny County call Port Authority Customer Service at 412-442-2000. For transit information in other counties, please visit: www.commuteinfo.org/comm_trans.shtml or call 1-888-819-6110.
This notice satisfies the program-of-projects requirements of the Urbanized Area Formula Program of the
Federal Transit Administration.
May is CommuteInfo Commute Options Awareness Month
SPC wants all commuters and employers in southwestern PA to learn more about the commuting options available to them. To focus attention on available commuting alternatives, SPC has proclaimed May to be CommuteInfo Commute Options Awareness Month. SPC will be promoting the benefits of its CommuteInfo rideshare program during May. The goal of the CommuteInfo program is for commuters in southwestern Pennsylvania to choose ridesharing at least twice a week.
Gas prices are up over $1 per gallon since this time last year. The price of gas is now close to $4.00 a gallon and commuters are looking for ways to save money. Alternatives to driving alone, like vanpooling, carpooling, using public transit or biking to work, are just a few of the ways to lower the cost of commuting. Over 500 commuters already ride to work daily in CommuteInfo’s 43 registered vanpools and nearly 500 commuters ride to work daily in the 225 carpools registered with CommuteInfo.
Over 77% of the workers in the SPC region drive alone to work. More of the region’s commuters sharing a ride to work would help to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. In 2010, CommuteInfo’s vanpool and carpool participants helped to keep nearly 800 cars off the road each workday. For a typical 30-mile round trip to work based on an average fuel economy of about 25 miles per gallon, each CommuteInfo vanpool and carpool participant saves over a gallon of gas per day. At current prices, that adds up to over $1,000 per year.
Visit www.commuteinfo.org and take advantage of the CommuteInfo Commute Cost Calculator to estimate how much you could be saving!
For more information about CommuteInfo and commuter alternatives, please visit www.commuteinfo.org, or call toll free 1-888-819-6110.
May also includes National Transportation Week, National Bike to Work Day, National Employee Health and Fitness Day, National Try Transit Week, and National Clean Air Week.
Click here to see CommuteInfo featured on KDKA News: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/05/18/high-tech-carpooling-helping-commuters-save-money/
SPC Adopts Updated Public Participation Plan
The 45 day public comment and review period (Feb 28-April 15, 2011) for the update of SPC’s Public Participation Plan has concluded. The Public Participation Plan provides the tools to ensure that SPC’s transportation planning processes include a proactive participation process and comply with federal participation plan requirements. Activities such as public meetings, Public Participation Panels, and our general public outreach methods, are given guidance by this document. Many months of planning, consultation, and gathering feedback from the public, our planning partners, and state and federal agencies contributed to the final version. Improvements to the document include the establishment of an SPC Resource Center, where the public can find quick reference to the service SPC offers, and access to our network of partner agencies. Also, expanded content regarding operations and procedures of the Public Participation Panels has been included, with guidance from the Panels themselves. Lastly, SPC has enhanced its informational directions and assistance to those that are disabled, those with limited English proficiency, and the traditionally underserved members of our region. Through the use of education videos, web-based content, and targeted outreach, SPC was able to reach out to more than 600 citizens in Southwestern PA with an interest in SPC’s transportation planning activities.
The Public Participation Plan is available here.
Special Funding Announced for Traffic Signal Improvements
Source: PennDOT
Governor Tom Corbett announced the award of $8.4 million in grants for 106 transportation projects paid with fines collected from red light enforcement cameras in the city of Philadelphia.
"These projects will help municipalities upgrade traffic lights and other basic systems," Governor Corbett said. "These improvements have the potential to make a big difference in traffic flow and mean better mobility for people across the state."
Under the state law that established red light camera enforcement, fines from infractions are evenly divided between the city of Philadelphia and the state.
Projects that improve safety, enhance mobility and reduce congestion were considered for funding. Municipalities submitted more than 300 applications for $68 million worth of projects. Projects were chosen under criteria spelled out in regulations. The criteria included project benefits and effectiveness, cost, local and regional impact, and cost sharing.
Projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania include:
Allegheny County
• Aspinwall, $7,484 for sign replacement
• Bellevue, $9,500 for sign replacement
• Coraopolis, $144,000 for upgraded traffic signals
• Green Tree, $36,773 for school zone flashing sign upgrade
• McKeesport, $300,000 for replacement of the traffic control system
• Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, $858,133 for signalization improvements to a number of distressed communities
• South Fayette Township, $15,500 for an LED school zone system
• West View, $7,500 for conversion of traffic control devices and school zone speed limit sign to LED
Armstrong County
• Perry Township, $30,000 for removal of roadway bank for safety purposes
Beaver County
• Aliquippa, $12,800 for school zone flashing light at 21st and Sheffield Road
• Franklin Township, $12,811 for an upgrade of the traffic signals to LED
• Potter Township, $14,400 for an upgrade of traffic signals to LED
Butler County
• Butler, $84,000 for sign and intersection upgrades and an overhead signal warning sign
• Oakland Township, $21,000 for sign replacements
• Franklin Township, $11,099 for LED traffic controls
• Saxonburg, $15,851 for sign replacement
• Venango Township, $9,714 for stop sign replacement and guide rail installation
Fayette County
• Menallen Township, $35,000 for improvements to school zone signage and signals
• Washington Township, $3,000 for signal upgrade to LED lights
Indiana County
• White Township, $50,000 for signalization on Route 286 and Airport Road/Ober Road
Westmoreland County
• Derry, $20,000 for new power supply for an existing signal
• Hempfield Township, $16,000 for a school speed signal replacement
• Murrysville, $13,000 for upgrade of a warning signal to solar-powered LED
• Rostraver Township, $60,453 for new signal timing, upgraded vehicle detection and three new flashing school zone signs
• Salem Township, $36,463 for LED replacement lights.
Read more about SPC’s Regional Traffic Signal Program here.
This e-newsletter is provided as a service. Please send any comments or suggestions to comments@spcregion.org.
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