PennDOT District 12 officials highlighted nine of the 103 projects anticipated to be in construction status this year in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, representing an investment of $528 million.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s commitment to delivering safe highways and bridges across the Commonwealth remains a top priority.

These investments support the Shapiro Administration’s vision of a safe and reliable transportation network that connects Pennsylvanians to greater opportunity.

Shapiro’s 2023-24 budget secured $125 million to fully leverage federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) investments and improve Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges.

The investment is made possible by decoupling Pennsylvania State Police funding from the Motor License Fund and is the first year of the governor’s four-year proposal to invest an additional $1.25 billion in the state’s infrastructure.

Statewide in 2023, 684 bridges went out for bid to be repaired, replaced, or preserved and 7,011 roadway miles were improved by department or partner crews.

Just down the block from the historically significant Dunlap Creek (Cast Iron) Bridge in Brownsville, department officials were joined by a Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission representative who discussed funding for regional roads and bridges.

“I am eager to oversee my first construction season in the position of new District 12 Executive,” said Rachel Duda. “My top goal is to look for ways that improve safety and save people’s lives through advances in our transportation system.”

“We are excited for District 12’s upcoming construction season. This work is part of SPC’s four-year, $3.9 billion Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that we are continuously working on with our local, county, and state partners to prioritize our region’s infrastructure needs,” said SPC Director of Transportation Planning Domenic A. D’Andrea. “These critical infrastructure investments allow our transportation system to be more resilient and enhance our communities.”

Overall highlights in the 2024 construction season for the southwest region – including projects supported and accelerated by the BIL – include, approximately:

• 93.87 miles of paving.
• 500 miles of roadway sealcoating and crack sealing.
• 28 bridges will be preserved, 45 bridges rehabilitated or replaced.
• 20 slides will be repaired by department forces with an additional six slide locations in a construction status.

“As Assistant District Executive for Construction, I have the privilege of working with many talented professionals to deliver our construction projects in District 12. Soon we’ll break ground for a full rehabilitation of the Dunlap Creek Bridge,” said Bill Beaumariage. “This project has deeps roots in our western Pennsylvania history, and we are proud to be preserving the amazing work of our ancestors.”

Significant new projects beginning this season include:

Fayette County

• Dunlap Creek (Cast Iron) Bridge Restoration: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, the superstructure was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1839 as the first cast iron metal arch bridge in the United States.

Complete structural rehabilitation and repairing of the existing bridge, carrying Route 4003 (Market Street) over Dunlap Creek. Installing a new mid-block crossing and a pedestrian bridge for pedestrian safety and accessibility, in Brownsville Borough, $8.9 million.

Notable ongoing projects from 2023 include:

Fayette County

• Route 711 Crawford Avenue (McCray Robb) Bridge: Replacing the existing, six-span steel superstructure of the Route 711 Crawford Avenue Bridge with a new, wider superstructure consisting of continuous composite steel plate girders in the City of Connellsville, $11.5 million.

Westmoreland County

• Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project (LVTIP): Upgrading the Route 981 corridor from the intersection with Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township to the intersection with Route 30 in Unity Township. Phase 1 (the southernmost of the three-section project) is underway, reconstructing Route 981 from the intersection with Route 819 north to a point just south of the town of Calumet, $55.2 million.

Countywide 2024 construction maps, and a full project list, are attached. Dates are current as of the date of publication and are subject to change based on weather and operations.

View the full article at dailycourier.com.

Armstrong Trails on Monday held its opening ceremony for the Crooked Creek-to-Schenley section of the passage.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Cindy Dunn said, “This is the most significant trail gap that I’ve had the honor of closing this year.”

The Crooked Creek-to-Schenley section is a part of Armstrong Trails — a 52.5-mile rail to trails program that is protects and converts former railroad corridors for public use in Armstrong, Clarion and Westmoreland counties. This section is part of the larger trail project that will stretch 270 miles and connect Erie to Pittsburgh Trail. “I see what’s on the horizon. I look at the little trail towns and how they developed, and so many people are contacting us to be a part of this,” Armstrong County Commissioner Chairman John Strate said.

Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation (PennDOT) Executive Deputy Secretary Larry Shifflet says, “It’s a huge accomplishment, but we’re not done yet.”

With the opening of the Crooked Creek to Schenley section, Armstrong Trails will now be focusing on completing the Schenley to Leechburg section, and plans to have it done by May 1.

The future

All those who spoke at the opening expressed their hopes of what the trails would bring to Armstrong county as the sections are completed.

“People say that the best days of this area are done. I don’t believe that. With these trails our best days are ahead of us,” Armstrong County Commissioner Vice Chairman Anthony Shea said.

“What better way to bring visitors to our area, and create tourism, than our beautiful part of the world,” PA State Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-63) said.

Speakers at the opening foresee that the completion of the trails will boost tourism in the region, as people come to experience the natural beauty that PA has to offer. It was even hoped that the completion of the trails would see people moving to region. “What gives Pennsylvania the best hope for its future is attracting and keeping our communities together,” Dunn said. “Attracting new people and having people come home to Pennsylvania.”

Chris Ziegler is spotlighted

All those who spoke at opening took time to thanks Executive Director of Armstrong Trails Chris Ziegler for her work.

PA State Rep. Abby Major (R-60), “This wouldn’t have happened without Chris.”

Ziegler was a leading force in the Rails to Trails program, and all were amazed by what her, and her team, has managed to accomplish so far. “If we had 10 of you, just imagine what this county could be,” Strate said.

View the full story at leadertimes.com.

Avid cyclist Bob Cropp enjoys blazing a trail.

And with the addition of 10 miles to Armstrong Trails in Armstrong County, Cropp of Grove City arrived on his bike Monday morning to learn more about the ongoing efforts to expand the trail in the Kiski Junction corridor through Gilpin.

“It’s new to see, and I want to support this,” said Cropp of his reason for attending the “Celebrating the Impossible” trail christening, a public event at the Armstrong Trails trailhead in Schenley that drew a large crowd despite rainy weather.

The gathering was sponsored by Armstrong Trails, an organization dedicated to protecting and converting railroad corridors into trails for public use, with a goal of acting as an economic stimulus for area communities.

Hundreds gathered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to officially open the newest section of completed trail that runs from Crooked Creek/Manor Township in Armstrong County to Gilpin, part of the 52.5-mile trail on the former Allegheny Valley Railroad corridor.

The completed trail extends from Rosston in Manor Township, near the confluence of Crooked Creek and the Allegheny River, to the Kiski River in Gilpin and includes a refurbished railroad bridge that dates to 1899.

Armstrong Trails Executive Director Chris Ziegler said she was a little overwhelmed with emotion by the turnout Monday.

“We worked really hard for a solid nine months. Without Art and Pam, this task would have been much harder. They showed up every day,” Ziegler said.

Trail volunteers Art Haugh and Pam King are core helpers. King of New Castle smiled with satisfaction as she reflected on her new volunteer pursuits.

“It’s just really neat to see this,” said King, who volunteers operating heavy-duty excavating equipment. “It’s a great turnout, and I’m feeling good.”

“(Ziegler) is amazing. She has done the impossible,” Armstrong County Commissioner Anthony Shea said.

Shea recalled when a factory in Schenley closed in 1982.

“It was a really sad day, and people said the best days of this area were done. I don’t believe that. I believe with these trails, our best days are ahead of us,” Shea said.

Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn traveled from Harrisburg to serve as one of the guest speakers.

Dunn noted beyond the connection of the communities the trail provides, the trail ultimately connects people and their stories.

“These things take time. This Armstrong Trails has been underway for 30 or more years,” Dunn said. “And this trail is significant. This bridge is special.”

Closing the trail gaps statewide is a priority this year, Dunn said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro allotted $112 million for park and forest infrastructure last year. In the latest proposed budget, Shapiro is asking for $8.5 million to build trails across Pennsylvania.

“It’s attracting and keeping communities together, particularly young people — having people come home to the best places to live, work and play nestled along the banks of these rivers,” Dunn said.

Armstrong Trails transportation history dates back to 1855 when the first railroad line along the Allegheny River began hauling passengers, lumber, iron ore and coal.

Rail service continued into the 1970s.

In 1992, Armstrong Trails (formerly Allegheny Valley Land Trust) purchased the rail corridor for Armstrong Trails.

Gilpin resident Megan Beattie lives about a mile from the trail and attended the ceremony.

Beattie said she was happy to hear that the next 4 miles of trail on tap will continue from Schenley south to Leechburg.

“It’ll be neat to just go straight to Leechburg. This is super convenient,” Beattie said.

Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal was among the local officials in attendance.

She said Leechburg is ready to welcome the trail and hopes to welcome plenty of recreational tourists this summer.

“All of the easements are approved, and property owners along Kiski, River and Hicks avenues have worked with the borough. We’re going to do everything we can to make our little town a tourist town,” Smeal said.

Three free bike racks recently were installed in Leechburg Riverview Park, at the Volunteer Fire Department near the Kiski River boat launch and one at the end of the Hyde Park Walking Bridge, all donated by the Leechburg Rotary.

Cyclist and retiree Chris Lorenzato of Canonsburg showed up to check out more biking options for himself and his cyclist friends.

Lorenzato, 71, has been riding since 2001.

“They’re doing good. I’ve been all over these trails. I just go to the trailhead, and we ride all day,” Lorenzato said.

Next up for the trail volunteers is locating cross pipes and cleaning up the trees along the 4-mile stretch to Leechburg.

Already funded by the trail volunteer fund, the Leechburg expansion will cost about $60,000.

The trail is expected to be completed in late spring in time for the summer season, Ziegler said.

“We’re not guaranteed money or funding or anything, but we are guaranteed smiling faces that we see riding down the trail — the grandparents and families — that’s what we’re guaranteed,” she said.

Armstrong Trails follows along the eastern bank of the Kiski and Allegheny rivers in Westmoreland, Clarion and Armstrong counties.

Ziegler told the crowd that a $120,000 cash investment paid for the project, but not without the donations and volunteer hours of an estimated $657,000 in labor costs and $813,00 in donated equipment.

Gilpin Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull is eager to see the next phase of the trail connecting Gilpin and Leechburg completed.

“This will not only help bolster the Gilpin economy, but also Leechburg’s economy and the entire Leechburg area. This extension is huge for our local recreation and economy,” Stull said.

View the full article at triblive.com.

The Port of Baltimore, which has been closed since a barge collided with and brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River, gets billions of tons and millions of dollars’ worth of goods shipped its way from the Pittsburgh region — including Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties — according to information provided over the weekend by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

While the data was gathered this past week, it came from a disaggregated freight analysis provided in 2017 from the Federal Highway Administration through the Eastern Transportation Coalition.

An SPC spokeswoman stressed that industry changes and market shifts make possible that the 2017 levels are not reflective of 2024, but, Caitlin O’Connor said, “it was the data that we were able to get our hands on” Friday.

In that year, $609,322,000 in goods were exported from southwestern Pennsylvania to the Port of Baltimore, representing a volume of 2.9 billion tons, while $616,322,000 in goods were imported through Baltimore to the SPC region, representing a volume of 188.96 million tons.

Exports included 3,766,180,000 tons of coal shipped out of the SPC coverage area, with 21.2 percent coming from Indiana, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties — 323.79 million tons from Indiana, 290.5 million tons from Armstrong, and 182.76 million tons from Westmoreland.

That translated into $327.07 million worth of coal exports from the 10-county SPC region (Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland, as well as Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties, as well as the city of Pittsburgh), including $28.12 million from Indiana County, $25.22 million from Armstrong County and $15.87 million from Westmoreland County.

The three counties also accounted for approximately a third of the 41.92 million tons of wood products and 25.14 million tons of logs shipped out from the Pittsburgh region through Baltimore.

That included 7.88 million tons of wood products and 2.61 million tons of logs from Westmoreland, 3.08 million tons of wood products and 3.29 million tons of logs from Indiana, and 2.63 million tons of wood products and 2.61 million tons of logs from Armstrong.

In turn, that translated into $38.39 million in exports of wood products from the SPC region, including $7.23 million from Westmoreland County, $2.81 million from Indiana County and $2.40 million from Armstrong County.

Imports to southwestern Pennsylvania included motorized vehicles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, base metals, plastics and rubber, and non-cereal agriculture products, with motorized vehicles providing the largest amount of imports in terms of cost, $539.16 million from the 10-county region, $68.75 million from Westmoreland County, $15.51 million from Indiana County and $11.01 million from Armstrong County.

Much of the commerce involves the more than 200 miles of commercially-navigable waterways in western Pennsylvania, including those in 13 counties covered by the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, Indiana, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence and Washington counties.

Mary Ann Bucci, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, said in comments quoted on her organization’s Facebook page that those who import to or export from Pittsburgh often come through Baltimore, as it’s a short truck or train ride away.

“The biggest challenge is going to be what port can handle these additional vessels,” she asked. “And that’s going to be a challenge in the short term.”

Other ports already have been reacting to that challenge. The Port of Philadelphia said this past week that it has received inquiries regarding diverted cargo. On www.philaport.com one finds ways that containers and schedules can be tracked.

The Port of Virginia, which covers shipping through Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Warren County, all in Virginia, said its operating team was already working with ocean carriers whose vessels were due to call Baltimore and offering the capability of its port to discharge cargoes as requested.

Also, the Associated Press reported, the governors of New York and New Jersey offered to take on cargo shipments that have been disrupted, to try to minimize supply chain problems.

View the full article at indianagazette.com.

If you feel like you’re noticing more bikes on the roads, you’re probably right: POGOH bikeshare hit record-breaking ridership last year and has reached 1 million rides total since launching in 2015.

“Students, residents and visitors embraced POGOH last year — it’s clear that when we expand the station network, our ridership grows significantly,” said David White, executive director of Bike Share Pittsburgh, the nonprofit that operates POGOH bikeshare, in a press release.

To meet the demand, Bike Share Pittsburgh has announced POGOH’s Phase 3 Expansion, which aims to add more than 50 new stations to Pittsburgh over the next few years. There are currently 60 stations across Pittsburgh.

“We have a vision that POGOH stations cover every neighborhood in the city, and that over time our network will extend to many inner-ring municipalities in Allegheny County,” White said.

POGOH plans to engage with Pittsburgh communities to choose the 50 new locations; feedback is being accepted through an interactive map on its website.

Funding for the new stations will come from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program, the Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund Grant in partnership with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, and other grants.

In 2023, 211,000 rides were recorded, up significantly from the previous high of 124,000 in 2021. Bike Share Pittsburgh said the increase in usage can be attributed to factors such as the popularity of the electric-assist bicycles, high ridership from the University of Pittsburgh community, increased support for biking and walking, and collaboration with PRT, which allows users to register and rent POGOH bikes through its Transit App.

View the full article at pittsburghmagazine.com.

The Point Marion section of the Sheepskin Trail stretches 1.4 miles and connects to Springhill Township’s Nilan community to make up the southern extension of the trail. The Fayette County commissioners are requesting $1.25 million in funding to complete that portion of the trail.

The Fayette County commissioners are seeking $1.25 million in grants for the southern extension of the Sheepskin Trail in Point Marion.

“Construction of this section will unquestionably promote a continued momentum we have been able to develop over the past two-and-a-half years,” said Art Cappella, the chief community development specialist for Fayette County Planning, Zoning, Community & Economic Development.

The southern extension is along Nilan Road, which runs 1.4 miles parallel with the Cheat River in Springhill Township and ends at the Lake Lynn Power Station in West Virginia at the border.

To support the development, the commissioners on Thursday voted to approve an application for $1 million through the Smart Transportation Livable Communities Grant program. They also approved a second grant application for $250,000 to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to provide a match to the Smart Transportation Livable Communities Grant.

“We’re taking advantage of these transportation-type grants that are broader than just highways and bridges,” said Commissioner Vince Vicites.

Vicites thanked the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, on which he serves as vice chairman, as well as PennDOT for partnering with Fayette County to apply for the federal grant,

“Hopefully, it will help speed up the process to get the trail built,” Vicites said, adding that funding resources like the Smart Transportation Livable Communities Grant are ones they haven’t necessarily tapped into in the past. “We’ll continue to seek funds like this on a broader scale.”

Vicites said as they continue along with progress of the trail section through Uniontown at a cost of $1.3 million and the requested $1.25 million for the southern extension, they will seek additional grants to eventually have the Sheepskin Trail completed and connected to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) in Dunbar.

Cappella said once the Sheepskin Trail is completed, it will run 34 miles from Dunbar Township’s Wheeler Bottom and Dunbar Borough to Point Marion Borough through many communities.

“It is a missing link to a nationally significant trail system called the American Discovery Trail that traverses all the way to California,” Cappella said.

Along with the trail linking to the GAP, Cappella said it will also link with the West Virginia Rail-Trail System, which is a 48-mile trail connecting to Morgantown, and will also link with the Youghiogheny, Monongahela and Cheat River watersheds as a recreational greenway.

He added that the trail is a major trail gap in the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition’s “Parkersburg to Pittsburgh” leg of the targeted 1400-plus miles of connected trail the coalition is working to build.

“Once we get it built, it will really benefit the county to connect two-trail systems,” Vicites said.

View the full article at heraldstandard.com.

The apparent low bid to rehabilitate Pittsburgh’s closed Charles Anderson Bridge is slightly lower than city officials had projected.

Last month, city engineer Eric Setzler had estimated upgrading the span that carries the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland into Schenley Park would cost about $50 million. Mosites Construction Co.’s bid of $48.5 million was the lowest of four received, the city reported Monday.

The other bids ranged from $51.8 million to $56.6 million.

Construction should start by the end of the year.

The project has been on the fast track since March 2023, when Mayor Ed Gainey successfully lobbied the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to add full rehabilitation of the bridge to its project list. The 780-foot bridge had been closed a few weeks earlier for emergency repairs that would have taken four months and cost $1 million to $2 million, but it remained closed after SPC’s decision to move it up on the priority list.

The city entered a partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to put engineering and design work on the fast track and finished at the end of last year. The city will oversee construction, which is expected to take about two years.

The project also will include replacement of the Panther Hollow Overpass, a nearby small bridge with problems that would have created another traffic disruption if it were replaced a few years from now.

Anderson has been rated in poor condition since 2012 because of advanced deterioration of the concrete deck and advanced section loss throughout the structure. It opened in 1938 and carries about 20,000 vehicles a day.

This is the first of the major bridges owned by the city to move forward to construction since Gainey ordered a review of its 146 structures after the January 2022 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge above Frick Park in Squirrel Hill barely three weeks after he took office. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled in February that collapse, which injured nine people, occurred because the city ignored repeated inspection reports that showed serious problems with the structure.

Consultant WSP Inc. found, in a report released last month, the bridges will need $471.6 million of bridge work over the next 32 years. That includes $135.4 million for nine that need immediate work, including Anderson.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

County Executive Sara Innamorato announced 10 appointees to five local boards Friday in what will be her biggest move to staff her new administration since she assumed office in January.

The individuals, if approved by a county council vote, will serve on the boards of the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the county Airport Authority, the county Redevelopment Authority, the county Sanitary Authority and the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.

It is her second slate of board appointments, a key responsibility for the chief executive.

In a prepared statement, Ms. Innamorato said the slate will “bring diverse expertise and perspectives to our County’s vital boards and authorities.”

The former executive director of the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority, Diamonte Walker, was chosen for the board of The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. The RAAC is responsible for managing economic growth in the region, focusing on real estate and repurposing vacant properties.

The RAAC requested $30 million in state aid last month to bolster their efforts to convert struggling Downtown office buildings into housing.

For the board of the Allegheny Regional Asset District, Ms. Innamorato named Monica Malik, the current area manager of Western Pennsylvania for Citizens Bank, and Jamilah Ducar, who leads University of Pittsburgh’s community affairs, and reappointed Dusty Kirk, a partner at the Pittsburgh branch of the international law firm Reed Smith. The Regional Asset District is responsible for using taxpayer money to invest in public facilities, including libraries, parks, sports and civic facilities, and public transit. It also provides funding directly to the county to support local government operations.

Ms. Innamorato named Dan Connolly, an attorney with a background in government consulting, to the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which is responsible for operating Pittsburgh International Airport. Mr. Connolly’s father, Robert Connolly, was one of 132 people who died in the Sept. 1994 USAir Flight 427 crash in Hopewell Township, Beaver County, in what is still known as the deadliest aviation accident in Pennsylvania’s history.

The Connolly family played a key role in lobbying for the federal Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act that passed two years later. The act codified into law the steps the National Transportation Safety Board must take to support the families of passengers involved in aircraft incidents.

Ms. Innamorato reappointed two current county council representatives. Paul Klein, a Democrat who has represented council district 11 since 2015, will continue to serve on the board of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. Bob Macey, a Democrat who represents district 9 and chairs the county council Public Works Committee, will continue to serve on the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.

Ms. Innamorato also reappointed Allegheny-Fayette Labor Council President Darrin Kelly to the Alcosan board.

Jesse DiRenna and Chris Sandvig will join Mr. Macey on the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, a congregation of 10 counties charged with collaborating on transportation and economic development projects in the region. Mr. DiRenna is president of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 66. Mr. Sandvig led efforts to reform transportation legislation and funding at the state level as part of both Goburg and Mobilify.

In her first slate of appointments, Ms. Innamorato picked three citizens for the county’s Jail Oversight Board. The County Council will convene at 5 p.m. next Tuesday to either vote on the appointments or refer them to the council’s appointment review committee.

View the full article at post-gazette.com.

Armstrong County officials were optimistic last week that having one of their own as the chairman for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission can only be a good thing for the county over the next two years.

During their meeting on March 7, Armstrong County Commissioners John Strate, Anthony Shea and Pat Fabian announced that Fabian was recently elected as chairman of the regional planning organization.

Fabian, who has served as the vice chairman of SPC for the past two years, said that the commission oversees how federal and state transportation dollars are spent in the region, which includes 10 counties and the City of Pittsburgh.

Strate said having someone on the SPC board from Armstrong County is a very good thing.

In a press release from the SPC, it was announced that in addition to Fabian serving as chairman, Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites will serve as vice chairman, and Greene County Commissioner Betsy McClure will serve as secretary/treasurer.

“The board’s new officers will shape the commission’s work for the next several years and intend to focus on workforce and economic development, transportation planning, and other initiatives like investments in broadband, water resources, attracting business investments, and expanding pedestrian and bicycle trails throughout the region,” the press release states.

“Together, Commissioners Fabian, Vicites and McClure make a dynamic team, and we are fortunate to have their leadership,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “Our organization functions as a consensus builder and we work in a collaborative manner in order to support the needs of the entire region. We bring entities from the public and private sectors together to discuss wide-ranging issues that impact our 10 counties. By having Armstrong, Fayette and Greene counties at the helm of our board, I know that the commissioners will elevate the priorities of all of our urban, suburban and rural communities.”

During his time as commissioner since 2016, Fabian has increased the county’s operating reserve fund from $600,000 to $8 million and led efforts to significantly change the county’s pension funds from $60 million to $85 million. Additionally, he has worked to reduce the county’s debt by 20 percent since he was first elected.

Prior to serving as county commissioner, Fabian was a supervisor in Manor Township. Before entering public service, he spent more than 15 years as an outpatient and family therapist at the Family Counseling Center of Armstrong County where he was responsible for providing counseling to patients and creating individualized treatment plans. He has his bachelor’s degree in special education from Gannon University and a master’s degree in community counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

“I cannot wait to hit the ground running and serve the board in this leadership role,” Fabian said. “The entire region is well-positioned to work collectively as a team with one voice on major issues like job creation and broadband connectivity. While our approach to challenges may, at times, be different, we all have one goal — and that is to improve the overall quality of life for Southwestern Pennsylvania’s residents. We are able to advocate better for them when we all work together.”

SPC employs 50 individuals that work on behalf of the 10-county region in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), local development district (LDD), and economic development district (EDA), the organization works to keep the region connected and moving forward. As part of this work, SPC helps counties, cities, municipalities and townships access approximately $39 billion in state and federal transportation and economic development funding that has been allocated to the region through 2045.

In other business at last week’s meeting of the Armstrong County Commissioners, county elections director James Webb gave an update about the rapidly approaching April 23 general election.

He said that April 8 is the last day to register to vote before the primary, and April 18 is the final day to request a mail-in ballot.

Webb said that testing of voting machines will begin soon, and that the county still needs poll workers in various precincts.

In related business, the commissioners approved an agreement between the county and Gabriel Fera PC, a firm representing multiple counties in a lawsuit regarding mail-in ballots.

Responding to a comment from a member of the public who said that “mail-in ballots are a farce” and that she did not want to see her tax dollars used to defend such a lawsuit, Strate stood behind Webb and the county elections department.

“Mail-in ballots are what we do now,” Strate acknowledged, noting that he had confidence in Webb to oversee the election.

Fabian acknowledged that the agreement with Gabriel Fera was only for a retainer, and that the county may not need those legal services as the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania is defending all counties in the case.

Other Business

• Approval was given for a cooperative agreement between the county and the City of Parker for administration of the city’s 2023 Community Development Block Grant funding. The city will receive $300,805 for its North Wayne Street reconstruction project. The county will retain 15 percent ($45,120) for administrative purposes.
• The commissioners approved listing four non-used vehicles from the Sheriff’s Department for sale on Municibid.
• Karen Travis of Apollo and Pam Lash of Freeport were appointed to the county’s Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board for three-year terms.

View the full article at thecourierexpress.com.

Since our 2014 Member’s Meeting, Bike Pittsburgh has been pushing Pittsburgh’s mayors to adopt a policy toward zero traffic deaths. While other policy goals of ours such as a Complete Streets policy and a new bike plan were achieved in 2017 and 2020 respectively, we still lacked the bold policy goal of zero traffic fatalities until this week.

On Monday, March 4, Mayor Gainey answered our call and made a commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries as part of his vision of making Pittsburgh the safest City in the country. This policy commitment, known as Vision Zero, is due to be supported by City Council, with the introduction of Councilperson Warwick’s Vision Zero Resolution.

At the core of Vision Zero is the recognition that these fatalities and serious injuries are, in fact, preventable. All humans make mistakes, so we need to design our streets in a way where the chances that someone will be maimed or killed because of that mistake is reduced. When this engineering is combined with a holistic approach including education, a change in processes and policy, encouragement, evaluation, and public safety, true gains can be made toward eliminating harm.

Additionally, a formal city commitment towards zero traffic fatalities will help open Pittsburgh up to even more Federal safety funds, as the Biden Administration has developed a National Roadway Safety Strategy to address what they refer to as a “national crisis” of the needless loss of more than 40,000 American lives per year.

Councilperson Warwick’s resolution begins with the standard legalese justifying why the bill is necessary with statistics and values.

WHEREAS, traffic deaths and serious injuries occur disproportionately in low-income communities, communities of color, and communities with low car ownership and disproportionately affect individuals with limited mobility, people with disabilities, and people who are unhoused, children, and the elderly

A sample from Councilperson Warwick’s Vision Zero Resolution

After addressing why this is necessary, the resolution gets into “how” the city will achieve this goal. This section sets specific actions that city departments and staff should take, however it still lacks a target date to by which to reach this goal of zero. The resolution is by no means comprehensive, but it outlines the first necessary steps to catalyze action. It will also inform the future Vision Zero Action Plan that the City, County and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission are developing with funds from President Biden’s federal infrastructure bill.

First, the resolution formally adopts the goal “of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on our roadways and endorses the Vision Zero strategy as a comprehensive and holistic approach to achieving this goal, while maintaining constant evaluation of programs and practices.”

Second, DOMI will create a Vision Zero Task Force comprised of individuals from various City departments “that may be expected to commit resources or take actions toward the objective of Vision Zero.” This is a standard step in making sure that all appropriate departments are collaborating toward the goal in their work through this new lens, as well as adopting new policies and procedures that are missing. We don’t know everything that will come of this, but a focus on the goal may yield some surprising results. For instance, they may determine that a policy banning right turn on reds should be implemented citywide. In another example in New York City, they realized that outfitting large city fleet and contracted vehicles with side-guards will improve safety results. Other cities have lowered speed limits.

The third section gets into how the city will use the newly launched High Injury Network (HIN) map as a guide for where focus street improvements, policy, and education resources, with an eye toward equity. The “Vision Zero Working Group shall create a Vision Zero Memorandum to commit City resources to the goal…while prioritizing the most vulnerable and dependent users of the most dangerous parts of the transportation network.”

The fourth and final step of the resolution directs DOMI to include a Vision Zero component in their biennial Complete Streets Report.

Earlier in the day on Monday, March 4, DOMI presented their first Biennial Complete Streets Report to Council, a requirement of the 2017 Complete Streets Policy, another major policy win that BikePGH campaigned on during the Peduto administration. The report is a snapshot on what the City is currently doing toward road traffic safety, what the City needs to do, and a large dose of statistics on what’s happening on the ground.

Behind the statistics are people – our families, friends, and neighbors. Each crash has a ripple effect that touches countless lives.

DOMI 2023 Complete Streets Biennial Report

Another aspect of the 2017 Complete Streets Policy included the formation of a Complete Streets Advisory Group (CSAG). The group dissolved, along with many things during the pandemic, but in 2023, DOMI and the Mayor resurrected it. The CSAG Engage Page will be the primary public-facing location to keep track of the progress toward Vision Zero. On the page, you can currently find the CSAG Biennial Report, the HIN Map, a list of planning documents, and past meeting minutes.

BikePGH is glad to see the Gainey Administration and City Council make this commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Pittsburgh. Committing to zero deaths is good policy and help ensure that Pittsburgh families cease getting their lives upended by a mistake that could have been prevented in the first place.

Councilperson Warwick’s Vision Zero Resolution will be discussed in Council Chambers during their Standing Committee Meeting on Wednesday, March 13 at 10am. There is an opportunity for public comment at the beginning of the meeting (sign up here) to support the commitment to Vision Zero. If you would like more information about how to talk to Council, please contact us: advocacy@bikepgh.org.

View the full article at bikepgh.org.