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.

Work on a plan for the Charles Anderson began in 2019.

The span is historic, which complicates things; Pittsburgh is receiving state and federal money, which adds additional burdens; and it runs over a park, which has its own quirks. Zachary Workman is the project lead for the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, and he explained rehabilitating the Charles Anderson means working through the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which can be quite a lengthy process.

“There’s a lot of considerations that go into making sure the project is really considering all those who are impacted, both the neighborhoods and the environment around it,” he said.

Still, the city was able to shift the anticipated 2026 construction date, which led to a question of whether there was any room to expedite it further.

The limiting factor is usually federal funding, said Kim Lucas, who leads the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. But in the last few years, Pittsburgh has “received more federal funding for our bridge projects than probably ever in the history of the city,” Lucas said.

“That funding is usually budgeted out to future years, and if you need to move it up, there are tradeoffs.”

Working with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (the regional planning organization), PennDOT, and the Federal Highway Administration, Pittsburgh was able to make tradeoffs, but the implication was there aren’t more to be made. Lucas also noted physical realities, such as rehabilitating old steel, limit speed.

Though the city’s design for the bridge is constrained by its historic designation, officials say they will be able to add a bike lane, while also keeping both sidewalks.

While the bridge has been closed to cars since this winter, it remained open to pedestrians and cyclists. Once construction starts, those users will also be detoured to other routes.

Another meeting with an updated design is expected later in the summer, and construction is expected to conclude in 2025.

In addition to talking about the Charles Anderson Bridge, city officials also provided a brief update on other affected bridges: the Panther Hollow Overpass and the Swinburne Bridge. Work on the former will begin during the work on Charles Anderson, and the latter will begin after (Swinburne currently serves as a detour for the Charles Anderson).

Stakeholders from Oakland, Squirrel Hill, and Greenfield voiced numerous concerns about communication around and plans for Swinburne, and repeatedly asked city officials to reopen comments on the project and to commit to more meetings. They agreed to both of those requests.

View the full article at wesa.fm

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, we’re standing on the edge of a transformative decade for transportation. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is more than just a planning body. We are a collective force uniting 10 counties — Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland — and the City of Pittsburgh, all with a shared mission of improving connectivity, fostering economic growth and building a resilient future for all residents. Our work today will help set the foundation for a transportation system that truly meets the needs of our communities as we move through the challenges and opportunities of the next decade.

Our region’s needs are diverse and evolving. From bustling urban centers to remote rural areas, each community we serve has unique needs. That’s why our approach prioritizes a transportation network that offers reliable, safe and efficient access to work, school, health care and recreation for all Southwestern Pennsylvanians. By balancing investments in traditional infrastructure — such as roads, bridges and public transit systems — with innovative approaches to mobility, we can build a future-ready network that keeps our communities and economy moving forward.

As we look ahead, our vision extends beyond just moving people. We see a future where transportation planning and economic development go hand in hand, supporting job creation, attracting new businesses and enhancing the quality of life across our region. A robust transportation system not only boosts the economy by connecting workers to jobs and goods to markets, but also creates opportunities in areas where growth has historically been limited. Our efforts are focused on bridging these gaps, ensuring that communities across Southwestern Pennsylvania can benefit from increased accessibility and economic resilience.

Our Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), Smart Moves for a Changing Region, serves as a roadmap for the next 25 years, articulating a clear vision that ties transportation improvements to economic development and quality of life goals. With this plan, we outline key investments in infrastructure, prioritizing projects that enhance connectivity, improve safety and support sustainable growth.

We are committed to integrating innovations like expanded public transit options, electric vehicle infrastructure and modernized traffic management systems — all designed to reduce congestion, minimize environmental impact and strengthen the region’s appeal to businesses and residents alike.

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the actionable component of our long-range vision, translating priorities from our LRTP into reality through a four-year investment plan. The TIP allocates funding for specific projects, from road and bridge maintenance to transit expansions and bike-friendly pathways. By focusing on high-impact, shovel-ready projects, we can address the pressing infrastructure needs of today while laying the groundwork for a robust, future-ready transportation system. With close collaboration between local governments and community organizations, the TIP ensures that our investments directly benefit the people and businesses of Southwestern Pennsylvania, creating immediate value while building a foundation for the future.

At SPC, we envision a Southwestern Pennsylvania where transportation serves as a bridge to a brighter future for everyone. In collaboration with local governments, businesses and communities, we’re shaping a network that not only meets today’s needs, but anticipates tomorrow’s challenges. Over the next 10 years, we are committed to building a transportation system that reflects the strength, diversity and resilience of our region—making it a place where all can thrive. Together, we will pave the way toward a sustainable, prosperous and connected future for Southwestern Pennsylvania.

View the full story at nextpittsburgh.com.

Armstrong County Commissioner Chairman John Strate, Commissioner Vice Chairman Anthony Shea and Commissioner Secretary Pat Fabian participated in a joint visit consisting of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and Allegheny Conference in front of national leaders to advocate for economic development within the region.

The two-day trip started with a PA Business Leadership event at the White House.

The PA contingent of business and elected leaders met with various senior administration economic advisors to include Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.

The group focused on the development of regional infrastructure ranging from roads, bridges, water, sewage and internet access.

The deputy secretary related robust infrastructure is key for the country to remain competitive on the world stage.

The deputy secretary fielded numerous questions and concerns ranging from the viability of EV waste trucks to emergent technologies for expanding broadband access in support of telemedicine.

On the second day of the visit, the delegation met with various legislative leaders at the Capital Building.

The day started with a breakfast event with Stefani Pashman/Allegheny Conference CEO, Pat Fabian/SPC Board Chairman, Rich Fitzgerald/SPC CEO, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and Phil Murphy/Senior Advisor to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as featured speakers. Key topics discussed were how to attract and expand business outside of existing pockets within the region, and how to showcase the advantages the Western Pennsylvania region has to offer to site selectors.

The delegation then met with various lawmakers at their Congressional offices at the Capital. Commissioners Strate, Shea and Fabian joined several of these office calls to include U.S. Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (R-14th), Chris Deluzio (D-17th) and GT Thompson (R-15th). In the meeting with Rep. Deluzio, Commissioner Strate expressed concerns about the lack of EMS resources in and around the northern part of Armstrong County. Commissioner Strate talked of how several of the Dayton volunteer fireman have picked up EMS skills at their own expense. In the same meeting, Commissioner Shea talked about the growth of the areas trails; he also talked about the ARDC public private partnership for the county’s locks and dams and that both the trails and locks are important to the area’s tourism growth.

Representative Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, who chairs the House Agricultural Committee, discussed the upcoming farm bill. Rep. Thompson related he looked at generating agriculture legislation through a science and technology lens. Commissioner Fabian advocated for the Allegheny River getting additional resources regarding updated lock infrastructure similar to other regions, as well as expanded service. Commissioner Shea related remote lock technologies may offer a long-term solution to open up Armstrong County locks and dams to recreational boaters. A question was asked about dredging the river, the Congressman advised this issue is being looked at closely. Commissioner Shea talked of the need to complete the bike trail flyover in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, which is needed to connect the Freeport to Butler Trail and Armstrong Trails into one 126-mile contiguous trail from Butler to Brookville, along with the Leechburg connector. The ultimate goal for the region is to fully complete the 270-mile Erie to Pittsburgh Trail which will have an estimated one million bikers passing through Armstrong County annually.

The various meetings over the two days event allowed the commissioners to network with a plethora of business and government leaders. The commissioners were able to garner follow-up meetings with broadband providers and identify potential grant source leads. The next public Armstrong County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. in the Commissioner Conference Room at the Courthouse Annex in Kittanning.

View the full article at leadertimes.com.

Rob Brandegee picked up and moved to Pittsburgh’s Strip District to enjoy its convenience and bustling city living atmosphere.

For the growing population of Strip District residents like him, it’s not uncommon to take a walk and run into friends and acquaintances.

“It’s very sociable, and it really has a neighborhood vibe,” said Brandegee.

Brandegee relocated from Highland Park to the Strip in 2021. Part of the appeal was how easy it is to reach South Side-based Little Earth Productions, the company he co-founded that manufactures licensed apparel and accessories, like the Terrible Towel, for professional and college teams. He loves the mix of Strip District residents ranging from young professionals to middle-aged and older.

On Smallman, the iconic Produce Terminal – a string of connected warehouses that opened up a portion of the docks to independent retailers, bakers and craftspeople – has been transformed into The Terminal, a bright, glossy shopping center. Vibrantly painted steps lead to businesses like Aslin Beer Company, Mayweather Boxing & Fitness and Posman’s Books, just a few blocks from long-time fixtures like Salem’s Market & Grill, Robert Wholey & Co. Fish Market and Pennsylvania Macaroni Co.

Several food and entertainment spots within the Terminal are expected to open this spring and summer, including the music venue City Winery, Novo Asian Food Hall, and Puttshack, as well as office space for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Mohamed Yassin likes to visit the Strip District once or twice a week. For the doctor specializing in infectious diseases at nearby UPMC Mercy in Uptown, dropping by the neighborhood is easy.

“I think it’s the heart of Pittsburgh,” the Fox Chapel resident said. “Even just walking around, it makes you feel like part of Pittsburgh. My wife and I will go to Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. to get olives and cheeses. We will stop by the bakery and get some nice bread. Then we take the car up to Mount Washington to see the view. So this place really means a lot to me.”

Dan Adamski, senior managing director of JLL Pittsburgh, noted that commercial construction “is almost completely halted.”

Adamski said the Strip District has a “wow factor” that attracts highly sought-after talent who can live, bike and walk and visit new restaurants and brew pubs.

“That’s what companies in the post-covid world are seeking,” Adamski said. “If you have an office, it can’t be the old, beige cube farm. It’s a confluence of a bunch of attractive factors that, if you’re a company looking for a space, you look at the Strip District.”

Read the full article at triblive.com

Brackenridge Councilman Dino Lopreiato said a new half-mile walking trail through the borough will do more than create recreational opportunities.

“It will showcase some of the nicest river views in Western Pennsylvania,” he said.

“People will be able to walk or ride a bike, and, hopefully, it will encourage residents to get out and enjoy our beautiful park.”

Work kicked off this week on the trail segment, which is part of the larger, 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail operated by the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront.

The $445,000 project is nearly seven years in the making.

Stretching from Mile Lock Lane to Morgan Street, it will link other pending trail sections in Harrison and Tarentum.

When completed, it will be part of the path from Erie to Pittsburgh.

Construction will be paid for by three grants: $100,000 from the Allegheny County Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund; $60,400 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and close to $285,000 from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

Crews have begun marking and digging the portion of the walkway that will be built along First Avenue on the grassy side of the guiderail.

Work is expected to take about two weeks.

An asphalt trail will be complemented by a split-rail fence for added safety, and native plants will be added.

A second phase of work will create a designated path through Brackenridge Memorial Park.

Both sections of the trail are expected to be completed this year.

Courtney Mahronich Vita, director of trail development for Friends of the Riverfront, said that while the trail is relatively short, it carries a mighty role.

“Building out the Three Rivers Heritage Trail Network in Allegheny County is challenging, but every foot and half-mile addition makes a difference in closing the gaps,” she said.

“Friends is excited to see this trail segment become a reality.”

Work in Brackenridge will someday link with other planned trails, stretching the path onward to Freeport in one direction and Millvale in the other.

Borough officials said they favor the idea of urging walkers and bikers to use the trail and not the road.

Lopreiato said he believes the trail will draw a wider audience to town.

“I look forward to walkers and riders traveling through town and discovering it,” he said.

View the full article at triblive.com

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.

Caitlin O’Connor, SPC media point of contact, wrote in the release that the SPC is the area’s designated metropolitan planning organization and works closely with the 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Armstrong County.

The agency also works closely with PennDOT on road improvement projects.

Ryan Gordon, manager, transportation program development for the SPC, presented a PowerPoint presentation about the plan during the meeting.

He said SmartMoves for a Changing Region includes a regional vision of a world-class, safe and well maintained, integrated transportation system that provides mobility for all, enables resilient communities and supports a globally competitive economy.

To achieve this vision, the long-range plan includes a list of projects currently within fiscal capacity and projects beyond the fiscal capacity, he said.

Mr. Gordon said the Regional Vision includes three major categories, including: transit projects, such as a West Busway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) extension to Pittsburgh International Airport and an East Busway extension to the east suburbs and the Mon Valley, among other projects.

The Regional Vision also includes an active transportation category, or funds for walking/biking trails and filling in gaps between trails, he said.

The active transportation category includes extending the Three Rivers Heritage Trail to Freeport; and connecting the Westmoreland Heritage Trail to the Great Allegheny Passage, the bike trail that runs through Homestead, among other projects.

The third category is roadways, that is, highway improvement projects such as the modernization of U.S. Route 30.

The Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), lasts 25 years, and is updated every four years.

When projects are moved from the LRTP to the short-term, two-year TIF (Transportation Improvement Program), it means those projects will soon be started, or are, in the case of the Margaret Road intersection, already underway.

Other Armstrong County projects moved to the 2021 or 2023 TIF list include preservation work on the Judge J. Frank Graff Bridge; rehabilitation of the 1/112th Infantry Bridge and Graff Ramp; Armstrong State Route 28 group bridge rehabilitations; and safety improvements to the Goheenville Dip.

According to Mr. Gordon’s PowerPoint presentation, Armstrong County projects in the current TIP include the Poverty Hill Bridge, work on the State Route 85-State Route 2001 intersection, U.S. Route 422 concrete preservation, Rural Valley Bridge #4, Brick Church Bridge #2, and the Pyra Road Bridge.

He said the projects will also be evaluated from an “environmental justice” perspective, which helps ensure projects do not negatively impact minority communities.

Enhanced broadband is also important and a needed improvement, Mr. Gordon said.

After the meeting, Harold Swan, a planning and programming manager for PennDOT, said improvements on State Route 28 north of Kittanning will likely include turning lanes and other work to make the road safer.

Darin Alviano of the Armstrong County Planning and Development office said the county is concerned with projects to the north, east, and in all parts of the county, not just in Kittanning.

Jeremy Dias of state Sen. Joe Pittman’s office submitted the following statement about the meeting between SPC staff members, local officials and PennDOT representatives:

“Sen. Pittman is always pleased to advocate and work to secure funding that addresses critical infrastructure needs within the 41st Senatorial district,” he wrote. “We are grateful for the partnerships that exist with PennDOT, SPC and Armstrong County and for their efforts to help advance transportation projects within the region.”

Public input

If a member of the public wasn’t able to attend the meeting, but still wants to provide their perspective on the transportation plans and issues, SPC members invited them to submit their comments before June 9.

Citizens can submit their comments either by email at comments@spcregion.org, by submitting an online form by fax at 412-391-9160; or by mailing comments to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s address at P.O. Box 101429, Pittsburgh, PA, 15237.

An SPC spokeswoman said SPC staff people respond to every comment.

View the full article at leadertimes.com

“’The bathtub’ is not just an obstacle to overcome, it’s a warning sign,” Buttigieg said. “It’s a warning sign that it is long past time to upgrade the entire corridor to be more resilient against the climate crisis.”

The grant includes additional funding to reduce traffic, prevent landslides and avert accidents along I-376, which Buttigieg said carries 44,000 drivers per day.

“I-376 Parkway East Corridor is one of the oldest urban interstates in the U.S. and, frankly, it’s showing its age,” he said. “It is badly congested for about 12 hours every day.”

The funding comes from a $5 billion new Department of Transportation initiative called “The Mega Program” that was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to fund especially complicated projects. The Pittsburgh-area project is one of 11 across the country to receive funding this round. More than 100 communities applied for the grants.

Buttigieg’s trip to Pittsburgh also included a morning stop at Carnegie Mellon University where he spoke with students studying in Safety 21, a CMU-based collaboration with five other universities funded by the Department of Transportation that is devoted to transportation safety issues. He answered questions about a range of issues, including the impact of autonomous vehicles, equity in bridge construction and new safety regulations at Boeing.

The federal grant also includes money for five electric buses and improvements for passengers along the MLK Jr. East Busway, including a mile of sidewalks that will connect transit stops to communities.

“And to anybody who thinks things like sidewalks or bike infrastructure is just ornamental or nice to have, I want to stress they are an investment in safety as we combat the crisis of roadway deaths in this country,” Buttigieg said. Earlier in the day at CMU, Buttigieg emphasized how even a 1% decrease in road fatalities across the country would be the equivalent of preventing one or two Boeing 737s from crashing.

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee said she used to live on the street in Swissvale along the MLK Jr. East Busway where Buttigieg spoke Friday. Lee said the new investments would prevent accidents, deter traffic and save workers’ time.

“Every moment counts for a workforce who has to calculate with specificity how much time it’s going to take them to get to work and to commute every day,” she said.

View the full article at wesa.fm.

Over the next two years, Pittsburgh is ready to move ahead with a $32 million traffic management system to improve traffic flow on six busy corridors.

That system, which will allow signals to be changed as needed based on traffic flow and provide a quicker response to traffic accidents, highlights a series of city projects included in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program. SPC had a public hearing Friday on projects in Pittsburgh, one of 11 hearings it will have before approving the regional transportation plan June 24.

Jeff Skalican, deputy director of the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, said during the hearing the city has advertised for someone to manage its proposed traffic management center. The center and series of corridors known as “spines” are scheduled to get $29.3 million over the next two years.

After the meeting, Skalican said he is “really excited” that the city will hire the traffic center manager in the next couple of months. The manager will help to oversee development of the center itself in the 412 Building on the Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown, where employees will monitor a series of cameras focused on more than 200 intersections across the city.

The project is an outgrowth of the city’s bid in 2016 to win a one-time Smart Cities Challenge by the U.S. Department of Transportation to use technology to address a transportation issue. The city lost the challenge to Columbus, Ohio, but federal officials were impressed with the city’s proposal and awarded a $12 million grant to help move it forward.

Over the years, the city has cobbled together a series of state and federal grants to finally move ahead with the concept. Skalican said the city hasn’t settled on which corridors will move ahead first, but two should be ready in the next two years and the other four in SPC’s next two-year funding cycle.

The corridors scheduled for smart signals, which also could allow Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses to have priority at intersections, are Bigelow Boulevard, Second Avenue, Centre Avenue, Penn Avenue, Route 51 and West Liberty Avenue. They also will be installed along Forbes and Fifth avenues, where PRT is building its University Line that will have dedicated lanes for buses between Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland.

The city also has three bridge projects scheduled for construction funding over the next two years: the Swinburne Bridge over Saline Street in lower Oakland ($12.3 million); the 28th Street Bridge over the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway in Polish Hill ($10 million); and the South Negley Avenue Bridge in Shadyside ($6.45 million). Skalican said Swinburne is scheduled for replacement in 2026 and 28th Street for major rehabilitation in 2027, but South Negley hasn’t been scheduled while the city works out details with Norfolk Southern Railroad, which has tracks pass under the structure.

Nine other city bridges have funds earmarked for design work for future replacement or rehabilitation projects.

The Transportation Improvement Program also includes funds for other city projects such as the Allegheny River Green Boulevard bike trail; reconfiguring the traffic pattern on Liberty Avenue through the Strip District to improve safety; and improving traffic on Brownsville Road in the South Hills, Beaver Avenue on the North Side and Penn Avenue in the East End.

The city received heavy criticism after the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in January 2022 for not having pushed at SPC for funding to upgrade a series of poorly rated bridges. That has changed under the administration of Mayor Ed Gainey, which took office three weeks before the collapse and has made a concerted effort to be more involved in the agency that vets federal funding for transportation projects.

“We’ll have more projects on the TIP than ever before,” Skalican said. “We have seven or eight for construction funding now where we used to have only one or two.”

Overall, SPC expects to spend $1.7 billion on transportation projects over the next two years, up about 7% from the current plan. About 43% of that will be spent on bridges and 22% on roads across the 10-county area.

The commission covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties and Pittsburgh.

Dom D’Andrea, SPC’s director of transportation, said about $860 million will be spent on 280 bridge projects and $437 million on roads. The region has reduced the number of bridges in poor condition from more than 20% to about 13%, but D’Andrea said, “There’s still more to do,” especially with bridges owned by smaller municipalities.

The agency has remaining hearings on the TIP in eight counties over the next three weeks, beginning with Westmoreland County at 1 p.m. Monday at the county courthouse. Go to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission website for the full schedule.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

From May 15-21, Individuals that Track their Commute Can Enter to Win Big Prizes.

Today, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), the region’s metropolitan planning organization, kicked off a one-week long Commuter Challenge—an effort to encourage local residents to take sustainable modes of transportation like carpooling, vanpooling, and biking.

The Commuter Challenge is an initiative of Commute Info, a ride sharing program that offers multiple solutions for individuals or businesses looking to travel in a more green, sustainable way.

“This fun, friendly competition is a way that everyone can take action,” said Anthony Hickton, Manager of the Transportation Demand Management program at Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “Very often, people want to help make our environment and transportation methods cleaner and more sustainable, but they don’t know how to do it on an individual level. Our Commuter Challenge incentives people to try taking public transit, vanpooling, carpooling, biking, or walking when getting to and from places.”

Individuals can participate in the challenge by tracking their eco-friendly commutes online at www.commuteinfo.org. Once individuals enter their commutes, they will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of several prizes, including gift certificates ranging in value from $25 to $400 to places like Giant Eagle, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and the Carnegie Science Center. The grand prize is a $400 gift certificate to a local bike shop.

Each trip that individuals enter during this challenge week will count as one entry. Winner(s) will be notified via the email(s) associated with their CommuteInfo account and must respond within five business days to claim their prize. If winners do not reply within the required timeframe another winner will be selected.

Read Release

Everyone experienced the effects of climate change in some way this summer, Peter Boger said Monday afternoon.

“Whether that was smoke from the fires, or the flooding or with extreme heat,” said Boger, assistant director for outreach and engagement with Penn State Sustainability. “And we know these are going to be issues that continue to affect us here in Pennsylvania and worldwide, and yet at the same time, and this is an exciting moment of opportunity.

“There’s more money coming from the federal government around climate than ever before, and we’re seeing a lot more action at the federal, state and local levels.”

More than 150 people tuned in Monday afternoon for the first webinar of Commonwealth Sustainability Week, focused on efforts from state-level leadership to curb climate change. In its third year, and hosted by the state’s GreenGov Council and Penn State Sustainability, the weeklong event features daily, free webinars focused on climate change and sustainability efforts statewide.

“Hopefully, you see the theme — that we’re trying to raise awareness on climate and, really, our sustainability week is geared around climate actions and planning,” said Mark Hand, director of the GreenGov Council.

The webinar, “2023 Commonwealth Sustainability Week Kickoff — Sustainability Leadership,” included Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, and Reggie McNeil, secretary of the Department of General Services. Richard Negrin, who heads the Department of Environmental Protection, was also scheduled to speak, but didn’t make the webinar. Hand said he was “tied up in another meeting.”

All serve as co-chairs for the council.

‘Cooling down the streets is critical’

The hour-long event was structured like a panel. Officials explained how their departments work to address climate change and sustainability issues before answering questions. The first question asked the panelists to share near-term climate actions that can be accomplished across the state, as well as their biggest concerns.

“Every parking lot, every rooftop I see, I feel like should have solar on it,” Dunn said. “ … So getting solar everywhere it can be, and overcoming the barriers to that policy-wise, legislatively and it costs-wise, but the investment certainly [would] be worth it in the long run.”

She also mentioned efforts to add more trees, especially in cities, where “tree cover is essential.”

“If you can get shade on streets and houses, it makes a tremendous difference in urban heat and that can save lives,” she said. “Urban heat is a killer in the summertime. So, getting our urban and suburban areas forest-covered is critical to reduce energy bills, but also to save lives and create cover

“After summer like we had, and it’s only going one direction from here right now — cooling down the streets is critical.”

Audience members were also able to submit their own questions. One asked what other state departments are working towards sustainability goals.

Closing trail gaps around the state is a major focus for other departments, including PennDOT, Dunn said. Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River Trail was built through grants, as well as funding from PennDOT and private funding, she said.

Bike commuters can use the trail “as opposed to sitting on the Schuylkill Expressway in traffic and belching exhaust.”

“In the Allentown area as well,” she continued. “There’s a link trail that’s aiming to really provide active transportation. Again, DCNR with our grants on trails has been a key partner there, as have the other agencies.”

The Link Trail connects multi-use trails across the Valley for year-round outdoor recreation and transportation.

“Getting vehicles off the road [and] getting people on trails to connect, even local errands,” she said. I was just in Hellertown a couple of years ago, when we completed a trail there, and people were using their bikes to go to the store.”

Another question dealt with severe weather events, asking if the secretaries see an opportunity to rebuild any damage using more sustainable techniques.

“If we rebuild or renovate anything, we are going to use the most energy-efficient equipment, the most green materials that are out there.”
Reggie McNeil, secretary of the state Department of General Services
“If we rebuild or renovate anything, we are going to use the most energy-efficient equipment, the most green materials that are out there,” McNeil said.

Only a handful of the more than a dozen questions submitted by the audience were answered, but Hand encouraged participants to register for future webinars throughout the week.

The schedule of webinars this week includes:

• Preparing for a Changing Climate: Building a Resilient Pennsylvania
• Join the Movement – PA Climate Network Participation & Training Opportunities
• Building the Workforce of Tomorrow
• Fostering Resilient Communities – Local Climate Action and Planning

A Lehigh Valley official is scheduled to speak as a panelist during Friday’s webinar, “Fostering Resilient Communities.”

Becky A. Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, is scheduled to discuss “how climate planning leads to more resilient communities.”

Other speakers include Michael Walsh, deputy secretary of the state’s Department of Conservation & Natural Resources; Lindsay A. Byron, an environmental group manager in the energy programs office of the state Department of Environmental Protection; and Cathy Tulley, environmental programs manager of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

“The session provides an opportunity to hear what state and local government planners are working on to address climate change and how we can get involved with local planning and developing local climate priorities.”

“We’ll have a great set of presenters representing a combination of state and local governments to discuss local climate action and planning,” Hand said. “The session provides an opportunity to hear what state and local government planners are working on to address climate change and how we can get involved with local planning and developing local climate priorities.”

Earlier this year, the LVPC announced the receipt of a $1 million infusion of federal funds earmarked to create two separate climate action plans over the next four years.

Officials must create a Priority Climate Action Plan, focused on industrial decarbonization, as well as a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. The former is due March 1, while the latter is expected to be adopted in August 2025, officials said during a recent meeting of the commission’s Environmental Committee.

Register for any of this week’s webinars here. They will also be recorded and posted on the GreenGov Council’s website.

View the full article at lehighvalleynews.com