Note: Babel Fish is a
third-party resource and a computer translation of the original webpage. It
is provided for general information only and should not be regarded as complete
or accurate.
Transportation: On The Move . . . A Basic Guide To Transportation Planning For Citizens
Get Involved
Learn all you can about transportation
planning and funding. Speak up and share your ideas with
the decision-makers.
Looking for information?
Other then the SPC web site, websites
of interest include:
PPP
members are appointed for two-year terms by their own County Commissioners.
(In Allegheny County
the panel is appointed jointly by the City
of Pittsburgh and Allegheny
County.)
The PPP
represents all kinds of people around the county.
The PPP is a
connection between SPC and residents of the county. It hosts public
meetings where you can comment on major transportation plans and
programs before they are adopted by SPC. This is the best opportunity
for the general public to be heard. Contact
SPC for information on the schedule for PPP
meetings. A schedule of all SPC-related meetings (including PPPs,
when applicable) is available here.
E-mail: go to our Contact
Us section
Snail mail:Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2500
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1852 Directions
Your comments will be most timely
if submitted during a special public comment period, related to
a specific plan or program being considered by our Commission.
A County that presents a united agenda of its priorities will be the most effective in getting its
projects funded.
Review the projects on the current TIP, and express support for the ones that are important to
you. Even though it’s on the TIP now, it still needs your support. Remember that due to limited
funds, there’s not much room for new projects at this time.
If you want funding for a major project, be realistic. Don’t expect completion tomorrow. We may
have to break it into sections and stage them over several years. It will be easier to program smaller
projects, which can be realistically completed in the timeframe of the program. Understand that
major projects may need to go through a lengthy review process to meet federal and state
requirements.
A municipality that assists in funding a project may see it advance more quickly. Perhaps they can
provide right-of-way, or they have already done engineering studies for an intersection improvement.
This sponsor has reduced costs and demonstrated that the project is ready to go.
In your testimony, emphasize the public benefits (or public costs) of a project, rather than the
personal impact on you.
Help to improve the design of a project at the earliest possible opportunity. Early input may be
more effective than criticism after a project has been designed, approved, and funded. Suggest
realistic alternatives that still address the same transportation needs. Bring your concerns to the
attention of local elected leaders.
Be aware of the schedule SPC follows in developing its plans and programs, so you can provide
input at the most effective times.
Long-range transportation and development plan is updated every 4 years, the next plan
due for adoption in 2007. Public dialogue to discuss regional priorities occurs during
2005 and 2006. Each draft plan is under development for at least a year prior to adoption. The 30-day
public comment period on the draft plan is scheduled about 6 weeks prior to the scheduled
adoption date.
The TIP is updated in the summer of every even-numbered calendar year, taking effect
October 1 of that year. Public meetings are held during the summer of the previous (oddnumbered)
year, to learn the public’s priorities before the draft TIP is developed. Once the
draft TIP has been constructed, there is a 30-day public comment period, about 6 weeks
prior to adoption, to give the public another chance for input.
Communicate with your representative in Congress and your
state legislator. They can be influential, working to fund the region’s
transportation program. To identify your state and federal legislators,
check http://www.state.pa.us, and click on “Contact Your
Legislators.”
