The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program provides funds for transportation projects and programs that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM).

The CMAQ program supports two important goals of the federal Department of Transportation: improving air quality and relieving congestion. These goals were strengthened in provisions added to the CMAQ Program by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP‑21; Pub. L. 112-141) and continued in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act; Pub. L. 114-94). These provisions emphasize cost-effective emission reduction and congestion mitigation activities when using CMAQ funding.

The SPC region receives a yearly sub-allocation of approximately $18 million to award to eligible projects.

The application period for the next round of CMAQ funding will open up on August 23, 2021. Interested applicants can find the guidance and application information on this site on or after August 23 or by contacting Lillian Gabreski at lgabreski@spcregion.org for more information.

Visit spcregion.org/funding-programs to learn more!

Join SPC’s Public Participation Panels for a virtual update on developing the draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The draft TIP is the implementation mechanism for SmartMoves for a Changing Region, the region’s official transportation and development plan. Hear about the progress of major transportation projects, submit questions to SPC and PennDOT, and give your ideas and feedback for the draft TIP. 

SPC’s Public Participation Panels encourage you to attend a virtual public meeting to learn more about the draft documents. Meetings will be open house in format. There will be opportunities to view maps, hear from representatives from SPC, PennDOT, transit operators, and planning departments, and submit comments and questions.

Virtual meeting dates and times are listed below:

• PennDOT District 10 (Butler, Armstrong, & Indiana counties):
  Wednesday, November 17th at 6pm
• PennDOT District 11 (City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Beaver, & Lawrence counties):
  Thursday, November 4th at 6pm
• PennDOT District 12 (Greene, Fayette, Washington, & Westmoreland counties):
  Tuesday, November 16th at 6pm

Meetings will be streamed through our SPC Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/spcregion

President Joe Biden’s signature on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure act will put money in a pipeline that will help communities across Western Pennsylvania in dealing with needs that have been building for years.

“This is the biggest investment that the federal government has made in infrastructure in over half a century. So some of us haven’t seen anything like this investment that we’re going to see in the coming years,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. “Number one, it’s going to put a lot of people to work over the next couple of years as these projects get built out. But the other thing, when it’s all done, it’s going to improve transportation and access and broadband, not just for Allegheny County but for the entire region.”

Pennsylvania US Senator Bob Casey says over the next five years, funding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will send Pennsylvania includes:

• $11.3 billon in federal highway aid
• $1.6 billion for bridge replacement
• $2.8 billion to improve public transportation
• $1.4 billion for replacing lead pipes and improving infrastructure for clean, safe drinking water

Vincent Valdes, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission said, “I think it means a windfall. I think it means that many of the projects that are pent up here, that have been obviously a need for years, could now be funded, could now be promoted and moved forward.”

The SPC is the organization federally mandated to prioritize spending of federal transportation funds in a 10-county southwestern Pennsylvania region.

Read the full story on WTAE.com

Pennsylvania is preparing for an influx of broadband funding expected from the federal infrastructure bill.

The new funding follows a pandemic that pushed many people online and revealed widespread challenges with broadband access. Federal legislators answered the call with $65 billion in the infrastructure bill, in addition to some broadband funding in pandemic relief packages. But this isn’t the first time large amounts of money have been pumped into broadband.

For many years, Federal Communications Commission programs have offered funding for broadband expansion. But many places still lack access, or affordable access, and in some cases, it’s not entirely clear where the money went. This time, states are hoping to make sure the dollars translate into access.

The key to getting that access out there is outreach and accurate data, according to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. The commission, which is a regional organization that focuses on metropolitan planning for Pittsburgh and the surrounding counties, launched its Connected Initiative with several other partners in the region during the pandemic.

“It was a natural evolution for us,” said Vincent Valdes, executive director of the commission. “Really, if you think about it, connectivity and virtual access is the new transportation mode, so why not treat it and plan for it as you would any other?”

And, Valdes told Farm and Dairy, it makes sense for the commission to take that on in the region — it has a lot of experience with long-range planning and managing infrastructure funding.

The commission already has a long-range transportation plan, in addition to a shorter-range, five-year transportation improvement program. It decided to mirror that by developing a connectivity improvement plan that will include details on the region’s current connectivity situation and recommendations for projects to prioritize.

Broadband came up as an issue organically, through conversations with communities in the region. Communities know they need access, but getting funding and making projects happen can be a challenge. That’s what the commission is addressing with its connectivity improvement plan.

Read the full article at www.farmanddairy.com

“It is a sad day for Southwestern Pennsylvania with the passing of Joe Grata. Joe was a lifelong public servant and advocate for our region’s transportation system first as a longtime transportation reporter who shared his deep understanding of the planning, engineering and funding of infrastructure with the public. Later, in his retirement, he worked to advance connectivity, safety and regionalism as an SPC Commissioner representing Fayette County. Joe recognized that all transportation is ‘local’ in the minds of our communities and further understood the role of mobility to regional economic vitality and quality of life. The Commissioners and staff of SPC will miss his perspective, intellect, and sense of humor as we continue our work to keep Southwestern Pennsylvania connected and moving forward.”

Vincent Valdes

Obituary: P. Joseph ‘Joe’ Grata | Post-Gazette, Press reporter and civic leader | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Built in 1939, the Charles Anderson Bridge has been slated for an overhaul for years. The city’s 2016 capital budget allocated $750,000 for preliminary engineering work. In the years that followed, projected allocations and timelines for the project changed repeatedly. Money for the project was earmarked in capital budgets over the next three years, with an allocation that grew to $3.3 million by 2019, but that wasn’t spent down.

The city convened public meetings in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic slowed the work. Even so, in January 2022 the city was able to offer a proposed design for the bridge’s rehabilitation. The $48 million overhaul would preserve the bridge’s historic nature, allow for better passage of large Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses and school buses,while providing wider sidewalks for pedestrians and a separate cycle track for people on bikes.

And the project gained new momentum this winter, when PennDOT and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission stepped in.

Most infrastructure funding comes from the federal government, which doesn’t just write checks directly to Pittsburgh. Instead, the money must go to a Metropolitan Planning Organization, which the feds task with planning out transportation priorities for urban regions. For Pittsburgh and the surrounding 10-county region, that organization is called the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, or SPC. For a project to move ahead, it has to be on SPC’s to-do list, which is assembled every year.

“It’s a living document,” said Andy Waple, deputy executive director for SPC’s programs division.

That to-do list, called the Transportation Implementation Plan, gets amended every month by the SPC’s Transportation Technical Committee, a group of planners and engineers who know how to get projects out the door.

At its regular meeting last week, the committee moved the Charles Anderson Bridge up the priority list, and allotted money to it.

Waple said that happened when PennDOT alerted the committee that it could move funds from the state’s Bridge Investment Fund, powered with money from the federal infrastructure bill. He said PennDOT took that step thanks to advocacy from the mayor’s office.

Waple said such allocation changes happen all the time. And in fact, if money isn’t directed to priorities, “We won’t receive as much federal money in the future and … that money can be taken away.”

Read the full article at wesa.com.

The New Castle Area Transit Authority will be looking to better market itself and its services over the next couple of years.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission presented the marketing plan for the authority for fiscal years 2022-2025 during the authority’s board meeting in March. The SPC helped work on the plan with the authority.

The marketing plan is part of the implementation of the PennDOT Act 44 performance review action plan originally outlined in the NCATA performance system review report of 2018.

The authority will work to market to commuters who ride between three and five days a week, workers, students in high school and college, senior citizens and people with disabilities, as well as tourists.

The plan calls for information on authority services to be available at Visit Lawrence County in downtown New Castle, as well as at different events, fairs and festivals, which the authority could offer rides to and from.

The plan suggests continuing its partnership with Pittsburgh Regional Transit, getting more commitment to the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, having different marketing and outreach activities, creating a marketing committee and including the public in those discussions, having conversations with schools and employers about potential partnerships, developing a summer pass program, having a customer loyalty or satisfaction program, strengthening its partnership with Allied Coordinated Transportation Services, investing in real-time bus tracking technology for riders and advertising more on the buses and park-and-ride facilities.

Authority General Manager David Richards said the NCATA partners with Pittsburgh Regional Transit to allow its buses to come in and out of Pittsburgh multiple times a day. He said if the authority ever wanted to expand its services in Pittsburgh, they have a good working relationship to start the conversation.

“They’ve been very good to work with,” Richards said.

Richards noted expansion in Pittsburgh all depends on ridership, as he said the authority is waiting for bus demand to Pittsburgh to increase. The authority went from eight buses a day to Pittsburgh before the pandemic to four.

“During COVID, our ridership to Pittsburgh dropped dramatically,” Richards said.

Regarding partnerships, New Castle Area School District students who do not have access to school buses are able to get rides to and from school, while the authority has trips to and from New Wilmington, which can help students at Westminster College.

Richards said there are more possibilities for additional partnerships in the future.

He also said the authority is working with PennDOT to potentially have a “Transit Appreciation Day” in which riders ride for free during the day.

The plan suggests strategies to implement these goals, which include more brochures and posters, presentations from the staff, revamping its website, utilizing roadside billboards and social media, newsletters and more advertising. The marketing budget could go from $35,000 to $60,000 or even up to $120,000.

The authority is working on an “on-demand” public transportation model, similar to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, that would allow passengers to be picked up and dropped off at specific locations.

Richards said that program is still in the works, with the authority preparing to submit a funding proposal to PennDOT for help with implementation.

The plan states the authority previously conducted an onboard fixed-route passenger survey in January 2022 to gain customer feedback.

“We did find out some good information,” Richards said.

The survey states 71.8 percent of participants were satisfied with the fixed-route service with 84.2 percent stating they will continue using the fixed-route service.

A total of 66.2 percent of those surveyed said they had no other means of transportation.

Bus garage payments approved

During its March meeting, the board approved the second round of payments for the NCATA’s planned storage garage at 410 Hobart St.

The payments were $327,180.78 in general trades work to Washington County-based Fleeher Contracting LLC and $3,420 in HVAC work to Central Heating & Plumbing.

An 18-bus, 18,360- square foot garage will be built at the site of the former Castle Brand Building.

All but $30,000 of the $5,620,715 project will be paid for using federal and state grants already secured.

View the full article at ncnewsonline.com

Residents of Beaver County will be able to have their voices heard this week as one local commission opens the comment period for infrastructure projects in the area.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) has announced that they will hold a virtual meeting for county residents to have their comments heard on local transportation and infrastructure improvement projects at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Residents can access the meeting at https://www.spcregion.org/events/public-participation-panel-beaver-county/ during the scheduled time to offer their feedback.

The comment period, which is a part of the region’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, will serve as a way to gain residents’ input and adjust certain parts of the $35 billion infrastructure plan that will continue to make changes to some of the plans for Beaver County’s roadways.

The SPC has held similar events over the past year as well, offering some suggestions for local projects and transportation improvements.

If residents are unable to attend the meeting but still wish to provide opinions, the SPC is inviting the public to comment on potential infrastructure issues in writing from May 11 to June 9. According to the organization, comments can be summited via email at comments@spcregion.org, completing an online form on their website, faxing their opinions to 412-391-9160 or by mailing comments to Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s address at PO Box 101429, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

View the full article at timesonline.com

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) held a public meeting Monday to inform county residents on the updates made to the “SmartMoves For A Changing Region” Long Term Plan for infrastructure and what projects are occurring through 2026.

Domenic D’Andrea is the Transportation Planning Director and he states that $660 million worth of projects have been identified to be improved through 2050 with another $1.3 billion worth of projects identified as line items that will allow quick action if necessary.

Angela Saunders, Transportation Planning Manager for PennDot described two projects that are in early engineering development. The first is an adaptive signaling project that will learn traffic patterns and coordinate stop lights on Route 19. The project will run 11.6 miles from the diverging diamond interchange in South Strabane Township, through North Strabane and Peters Townships to the Allegheny County line.

The second project under development is the area of Interstate 70 near Claysville that has seen several rollover crashes from tractor trailers. Plans call for the elimination of a curve and the straightening of I-70 and the replacement of two sister bridges in the vicinity.

According to D’Andrea, these projects are on the short term plan that runs through 2026. The long term plan runs through 2050. Plans for traffic, transportation, economic development and broadband expansion are included in the plan. To view the plan in its entirety and make comment visit the website at www.spcregion.org

View the full article at wpja.com

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.

Access to the meeting is available at https://spcregion.webex.com/spcregion/j.php?MTID=m9bb14bbd2e9e336d183ff8f7a3d28c5f. People who are not able to attend the meeting can submit comments until June 9, the end of the public comment period, by email at comments@spcregion.org, by fax at 412-391-9160, or mail comments to Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s address at PO Box 101429, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

The commission is the area’s designated metropolitan planning organization, and works closely with 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Butler County.

View the full article at cranberryeagle.com