There are two things that are abundantly clear about the roads and bridges in communities across the state.
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, from big cities to small towns to rural stretches. And there’s never enough money available to do it all.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll acknowledged those facts when he stopped by Reading on Tuesday afternoon to discuss current efforts to address regional needs and projects that will benefit Berks County.
The conversation with local leaders from several municipalities took place in state Rep. Manny Guzman’s office, where they shared some of the biggest transportation issues facing their communities. Then the group headed out on a tour of those locations to give the secretary a better look at the issues at hand.
Carroll, who retired last year after serving 16 years as a state representative, told those in attendance that while he may have just taken over the job, he has a lot of experience. He served as the vice chairman of the House Transportation Committee for four years and was legislative liaison for PennDOT under Gov. Robert Casey.
“When it comes to PennDOT, we have an agency that affects 13 million people in this state every single day, and the responsibilities are huge,” he said. “The good news for me is that in each of the 67 counties we have really good people who work alongside us.”
Carroll said that collaboration is vital as the department works with limited resources to improve infrastructure across the state.
He explained that with about 121,000 miles of state and local highways under its jurisdiction the agency must make strategic decisions about where it spends money — despite the fact that Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s highest gas taxes.
Carroll said lawmakers have peeled off almost half of the gas tax revenue for other purposes. That includes 8 cents a gallon to the state police budget, 8 cents a gallon to local governments, a few pennies to maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a few more to the Department of Agriculture.
“That’s about 20 cents a gallon off the top before PennDOT gets the first penny to put into our roads and bridges,” Carroll said. “So the challenges are real. I know that every community in every county has a project that they want to do and we want to do them, too. But finding the resources is hard.”
Carroll said the good news is that Gov. Josh Shapiro has a proposal to end the practice of funding state police with the gas tax, leaving more money for infrastructure projects.
The agency receives about $900 million each year from the General Fund and about $500 million from the Motor License Fund. The governor’s plan would shift $125 million over each of the next four years from the Motor License Fund to the General Fund.
“This will give us a path forward to do more projects,” he said.
The governor’s plan is part of the 2023-24 state budget, which has yet to be enacted.
Local projects on the list
• In Reading
Mayor Eddie Moran voiced a number of concerns. He told the secretary that there are a few streets in particular that are dangerous for motorists and pedestrians, and that the city needs help finding solutions.
He said a stretch of Hampden Boulevard is one of the biggest concerns. Moran said there’s a stretch about a half-mile-long without any street lights or stop signs that has become a prime location for very aggressive driving.
“It has become a real concern for our city,” he said. “We were wondering if there are any grant opportunities for speed cameras or if we could get some help from state police to patrol that area. Those are just two suggestions that I have right now.”
Guzman said that problem is not isolated to Hampden Boulevard.
“People are just flying up 13th Street to Hampden Boulevard,” he said. “I understand there is some kind of study underway to see if we could improve the situation.”
Chris Kufro, the executive director for the PennDOT district that includes the county, said the study will be conducted in September when school is back in session so it can capture the traffic flow on 13th Street.
“We are going to get those results and then have another meeting in October to see what options are available to us,” he said.
• In Cumru Township
Township manager Jeanne Johnson said she hears complaints about motorists wanting to turn left from New Holland Road to Philadelphia Avenue, also known as Route 724.
But, she said, there’s really no way to remedy the problem because the intersection is surrounded by commercial property on three of the four sides.
“These are really difficult projects because in order to expand those roads someone would have to take property,” she said.
• In Shillington
Shillington manager Scott Brossman said the borough has no formal request of the department but shared that the heavy flow of traffic on Lancaster Avenue, also known as Business Route 222, is the issue he hears about the most.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing that can really be done about that,” he said.
He did note that the borough has received state funding to update traffic signals and improve safety along the avenue. Officals are thankful for that as the use of the road continues to grow.
• In Kenhorst
Kenhorst manager Cindy Castner said the biggest concern in the borough is New Holland Road, also known as Route 625. She said she frequently hears complaints from motorists about the inability to turn left from the road.
Castner said that in the past state officials have recommended not allowing parking on the road to make it safer for drivers, which did not go over well with local officials.
“I’m glad you’re here today so you can set eyes on it to see if there is anything we can do,” she said. “We want to find a solution that works for our residents and drivers.”
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment