Pennsylvanians can view ratings of the state’s efforts in transportation safety, mobility, system preservation and accountability by way of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Transportation Performance Report, viewable at www.TalkPATransportation.com.
Residents are also encouraged to visit the website to provide input on their transportation priorities and to register for an interactive online public meeting to be held on March 21.
“This report shows a commitment to safety and efficiency in transportation,” PennDOT Secretary and State Transportation Commission (STC) Chairwoman Leslie S. Richards said. “We ask the public to review the report and share their input during our open public comment period through April 19.”
The biennial report is a combined effort of the STC, the State Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and PennDOT. The report is the first step in the state’s transportation program planning process and helps to evaluate the system’s performance and opportunities for progress. Public input is also a vital part of the process to develop the commonwealth’s blueprint of prioritized transportation projects, the Twelve Year Transportation Program.
The online public meeting will be held from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM on Tuesday, March 21. During the live Webcast, Richards will provide an update on the Transportation Performance Report and the public comment period. Richards, STC members and PennDOT staff will answer questions submitted before and during the meeting. Questions may be submitted in advance tora–penndotstc@pa.gov
Through April 19, the public can also submit feedback by taking the survey online at www.TalkPATransportation.com , emailing ra-penndotstc@pa.gov or calling 717-783-2262 to request a printed survey copy.
“It’s very important to us to provide our customers with every opportunity to take part in the planning process,” Richards said. “These accessible online tools allow citizens to provide input and feedback to us at their convenience.”
The report rated most highway safety focus areas, such as unbelted and younger driver fatalities, as “good” and improving. Initiatives such as those under the umbrella of the Governor’s Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management, and Efficiency (GO-TIME), driver and vehicle service modernizations and others are improving accountability.
Local bridges was the only category receiving a “low” performance rating, an improvement from the 2015 performance report which also labeled pavement condition with this rating.
The report will continue to be updated every two years. The 15-member STC includes the Transportation Secretary, 10 private citizens appointed by the governor, and the majority and minority chairs of the state Senate and House Transportation Committees. The TAC is a 30-member body that assists the state Transportation Secretary and STC.
