In June 2019, the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission — the metropolitan planning organization for the area that includes Butler County — adopted a long-range transportation plan called “SmartMoves for a Changing Region.” The 25-year plan called for $35 billion in transportation and infrastructure improvements in the commission’s 10-county area.

The draft long-range transportation plan for 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties and the city of Pittsburgh calls for spending $41.4 billion over the next 25 years for roads, bridges, public transit and trail improvements.

That’s nearly a $10 billion increase since the plan was updated four years ago and marks a major change in emphasis from road and bridge work to public transit. Under the new proposal from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, transit spending is expected to increase from $14.4 billion to $26.8 billion while road and bridge spending is expected to drop from $17.3 billion to $14.6 billion.

Reconstruction and intersection changes on Route 30 are among more than $1.1 billion in long-term highway projects proposed in a 25-year transportation plan for Westmoreland County.

The reconstruction of Route 30 would occur between Leger Road in North Huntingdon and the Irwin borough limits, and improvement is planned for two intersections in Hempfield — at Donohoe and Georges Station roads.

About three dozen people attended the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission meeting in the former Gallatin Bank Building.

Ryan Gordon, SPC transportation program development manager, said the Long Range Transportation Plan is nearing the end of an 11-step process.

County officials are expected to approve the plan by June 26.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is hosting a virtual meeting from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, to gather public opinion on the county’s long-term transportation and infrastructure needs.

In June 2019, the commission adopted the region’s long-range transportation plan called “SmartMoves for a Changing Region,” which includes more than $35 billion in regional transportation projects for the next 25 years. Tuesday’s meeting is part of the its effort to periodically update the plan.

Pittsburgh officials are close to finalizing the design for the Charles Anderson Bridge, which carries Boulevard of the Allies over Schenley Park, and connects Oakland to Squirrel Hill; construction is slated to begin in 2024. While that’s two years ahead of schedule, city officials and community members alike acknowledged at a meeting Wednesday night it still feels like a long time off.

Members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), met on Tuesday at the new Butler County Community College in Ford City to collect public input for their long-range transportation plan.

The plan they are updating, according to an SPC press release, called SmartMoves for a Changing Region, was adopted in June 2019 and included more than $35 billion in regional transportation priorities for the next 25 years.

Two major interstate rehabilitation projects are planned in the coming years within Lawrence County.

Members of the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, county officials and representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation convened for a public meeting Monday to review the proposed, long-range transportation planning needs for the region.

The SPC officials, who hosted the meeting for public input, detailed long-range plans for Lawrence County’s roads, bridges and multimodal transportation. Municipal and agency officials also attended the session at the Hutchison Community Center in Neshannock Township.

There are only ten days left for the public to take a survey being conducted by the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, the ten-county transportation planning authority for our region.

The survey on public transit seeks information on riding habits such as the frequency you ride, and your demographics. It also asks about payment methods, including a question about what you would do if you were not able to use cash to pay your bus fare.

You can take the poll by visiting the Indiana County Officer of Planning & Development’s website, icopd.org. The deadline is May 31st. The SPC conducted a public meeting on Indiana County’s transportation needs and plans recently at PA Careerlink, on Indian Springs Road.

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Indiana County Office of Planning & Development Executive Director Byron G. Stauffer Jr. opened a Thursday public meeting at PA CareerLink in White Township conducted by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to gather feedback from area residents about long-term local transportation and infrastructure challenges. Seated at left is Ryan Gordon, SPC’s manager of Transportation Program Development.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is in the homestretch of developing a Long-Range Transportation Plan that would update its 2019 “SmartMoves for a Changing Region.”