TRIP Releases Dismal Statistics for PA Roads and Bridges

TRIP, a National transportation research group released their report on the condition of Pennsylvania’s roads and Bridges. Paste the link below into your browser to see the report.

Click to access Pennsylvania_TRIP_Statewide_Release_052913.pdf

It seems that the statistics have not changed over the last few years: 25% of bridges are structurally deficient, motorists spend hours in traffic delays wasting fuel, our economic viability continues to be challenged as it our mobility becomes more limited. We don’t seem to see any employment gains or increased economic activity due to our lack of investment in transportation infrastructure.

It seems the only way out of this predicament is to push our elected officials to have the “political will” to fund infrastructure. It seems difficult at a time when economic hardship has captured our focus to go out and commit our resources to infrastructure but at some point we have to realize that the funding isn’t just going to appear. We are going to have to “bite the bullet” and pay a little more in fuel taxes and user fees if we expect there to be any changes. I hope that we see some momentum in Pennsylvania’s Senate and House to deliver a transportation bill during this session. I hope everyone contacts their state senators and representatives and tells them how they feel about the statistics in the TRIP report.

LVEDC Promotes Intermodal and Transit Oriented Development with Tours

Over the last two weeks the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) has held two important tours for the future of the Lehigh Valley, This past week, in conjunction with the New York and New Jersey Port Authority a tour of the Bethlehem Intermodal site was conducted. The site is well on its way to becoming a major inland port and several users have built distribution centers at the site to allow containers to be delivered directly from incoming rail cars to their warehouse facilities. The advantage of the site is that with the multi-modal (rail-truck) service delays at the port can be greatly reduced and shipments can flow into the distribution system much more quickly. The LVEDC is promoting this service as an alternative to trucking directly from the port. The rail service is configured to allow double stack containers and trailers on rail cars. Please contact Pete Reinke for more information (preinke@lehighvalley.org).

This week, the LVEDC conducted a tour of sites in Bethlehem, Whitehall, and Allentown and LANta presented their current and future plans to provide service to several corridors in the Lehigh Valley. The trip started with attendees traveling from downtown Bethlehem on one of the new hybrid LANta buses. The group visited the former Lehigh Valley Dairy Building, the Schoen’s Building in downtown Allentown, the former Bennett and Straub auto dealerships, and One East Broad Street back in downtown Bethlehem. Each of these sites are located on the trunk corridor of LANta’s bus service. Each represent redevelopments which will include commercial, office, and potentially residential uses. The redevelopment of these properties will include a focus on access to mass transit. LANta and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission outlined their plans to promote transit oriented development. Developers interested in these site’s or other redevelopment site’s should contact Holly Edinger at LVEDC.( Hedinger@lehighvalley.org).

PennDOT ePermitting System Limits Permit Renewals to 30 Day Window

PennDOT’s ePermitting system has in many ways improved the process of obtaining highway occupancy permits. The Secretary of Transportation often touts how much faster and more efficient it is with permits being issued in 30 days. Obviously, many permits still require several rounds of submissions and the system requires that more information be provided in electronic format.

The system also introduces some challenges as to who can create and submit permits for different aspects of the project (developer for a driveway, municipality for the stormwater pipe crossing, utility company for a pole relocation).

Once the permit is issued, there is generally a one year period for the work to be completed unless a time extension is requested. PennDOT recently pointed out that the new ePermitting system cannot handle the extension of a permit once it has expired for greater than thirty days. Once the permit has expired, a new permit, including application fees, must be submitted. This is the way PennDOT’s regulations have always been. Now the ePermitting system forces PennDOT to enforce the rule.

A word to the wise – once you get a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit make note of when it expires. Make sure if you have not completed and closed out the permit work you get your renewal approved within 30 days.

PennDOT Issues Permits for Major Mixed Use Project

Benchmark is proud to announce that PennDOT has issued the necessary Highway Occupancy Permits for the Old Saucon Mixed Use Development in Upper Saucon Township. The project consists of a mix of residential and commercial uses and is located on Route 378 at the intersection with Center Valley Parkway.

Project owner, John Blair, indicated that construction will begin with a first phase of single family residential units which will gain access from Saucon Valley Road. The second phase will consist of the commercial portion of the project which will build a driveway opposite Center Valley Road at its intersection with Route 378. The project includes an internal roundabout, walking paths, and a mix of commercial buildings.

Benchmark performed the traffic studies and roadway design for the project. The project was complicated by the slow economic conditions and changing PennDOT requirements for the improvements. PennDOT issued the permits with conditions relating to the phasing of the development and the phasing of the construction of improvements.

ASCE Releases 2013 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure

On March 19. 2013 the American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2013 update to their National Infrastructure Report Card.  The report card assesses the condition of America’s infrastructure in 16 categories.  The overall grade was a D+ which is an improvement over the 2009 assessment which had an overall grade of D.  The major areas of improvement were the rail system and the highway bridge system.  The rail systems benefitted from significant private investment in the rail freight system and an improvement in the number of users of the passenger rail system.  The highway bridge system improved slightly because of a general change in the State Department of Transportation’s programs to favor maintenance of existing facilities over expansion of the roadway system.  The Bridges category received a C+ grade, In Pennsylvania, PennDOT has made a major effort to address structurally deficient bridges over the last five years.  Unfortunately, because of the age of Pennsylvania’s bridges each year many additional bridges fall into the structurally deficient category.  Currently 25% of Pennsylvania’s bridges are structurally deficient; that’s right, one in four bridges are structurally not able to carry their design load.

As part of the report card release, ASCE held their legislative Fly-in.  Pete Terry was proud to be one of eight representatives from Pennsylvania who met with Representatives and Senators from across the State.  The main focus of the visits was to share the updated Report Card findings, discuss the next Transportation Funding Bill (MAP 21, the current bill, will expire in September 2014) and to discuss the Water Resources Development Act which provides funding for dam safety, harbor improvements, and improvements to the system of inland waterways.  In general, is seems that our federal legislators are beginning to understand the value of infrastructure to creating jobs, competitiveness, and our standard of living.  The current fiscal constraints and a reluctance to increase user fees continues to hold back support for increased funding.  ASCE indicated three key solutions to increasing our infrastructures grades; (1) Increase leadership on the state and federal levels in infrastructure renewal, (2) Promote sustainability and resilience in the design and maintenance of our infrastructure, and (3) Develop and fund plans to coordinate all transportation modes and their funding.

To see the 2009 Report Card please visit http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

PA Transportation Funding On Priority List for State Legislators

 During this week, progress was made on one of four major issues currently before the State Legislature.  The plan to privatize the State’s Liquor Stores passed the State House and the plan now moves onto the State Senate.  The Governor has indicated that he supports privatizing the liquor stores.

The other three major issues before our legislators are a plan to fund transportation infrastructure, the State’s budget, and reforms to the State’s pension system.  As part of the Governor’s budget address in early March he has introduced a plan which would reduce the State’s portion of the fuel tax but lift the cap on the wholesale fuel tax.  This plan, along with some minor changes to registration and license fees would be phased in over five years and would eventually raise an additional $1.7 Billion to fund transportation infrastructure.  The Governors funding commission released a report in August of 2011 indicating that funding at the level of $2.8 Billion per year would allow sufficient funding to allow us to maintain our roadway and mass transit systems at the level they are currently performing.  Several legislators have suggested that when bills are introduced in the House and Senate they may include higher funding levels to allow for the maintenance and potential improvement of our transportation infrastructure.

The annual battle over the State’s budget will likely be contentious, however, the State’s revenues have shown some growth as it appears the economy in Pennsylvania has stabilized and may actually be growing slightly.  The issue of Pension reform is a very difficult battle.  It is likely that new workers will receive different less costly retirement plans than workers in the existing system.  While private industry has moved away from defined benefit programs in favor of defined contribution programs the State government has continued to resist this change.

Democratic State Representatives Gather for Comments on Transportation Infrastructure

On Thursday February 28, 2013 ten state representative from across Pennsylvania held a hearing at the America On Wheels Museum in Allentown.  The purpose of the hearing was to gather public input concerning the Governor’s proposed transportation funding plan and needs of our state’s citizens.  Pete Terry presented the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Transportation Funding Policy.  Representatives from PennDOT, LANta, and other interested groups also provided testimony.

The Chamber’s policy recognizes the importance of bridges, roads, public transportation, airports, and rail freight to the economic viability and quality of life in the Lehigh Valley.  The policy supports transportation infrastructure with the following points:

Promote Efficiency in Transportation Projects

Promote The Setting Of An Appropriate Prevailing Wage

Wider Use Of Tolling In New And Existing Public Highways

The Creation Of Dedicated Funding For the State Police

Private-Public-Partnerships (P3)

Gradual Adjustment The Cap On The Oil Franchise Tax (OCFT)

Implement Inflation Based Increases In Fuel & User Fees

The full policy is available at: http://www.lehighvalleychamber.org/chamber-information/transportation-committee.aspx

From the discussion following the presentations it was clear that there is an understanding that the Governors proposed $1.8 B funding program will have a significant impact on improving our infrastructure but will fall well short of the needs which have been identified.

A link to the Easton Express news article on the hearing is below.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2013/02/greater_lehigh_valley_chamber_2.html

PA Governor’s Plan for Transportation Funding

On February 4, 2013 the Governor released his long awaited Transportation Funding Plan. The plan is a political masterpiece and also a good plan for Pennsylvania. Secretary of Transportation Schoch described the details of the plan in a press conference later that afternoon. The plan includes a cut of nearly four cents in the portion of the gas tax which the state controls. This satisfies many in our world who want to cut taxes, cut taxes, cut taxes. The plan also, over the next five years, increases the cap on the tax charged at the wholesale level. Currently the tax is only charged on the first $1.25 of the wholesale price of a gallon of gas. The current wholesale price is about $2.50 a gallon. By charging the tax on the full wholesale price an estimated $1.8 billion dollars per year will be raised. It is not clear how much of the increased tax will be passed through to the consumer by those big nasty oil companies.

While this plan falls far short of the funding identified by the Governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission, it is a step in the right direction which may find enough votes for passage. The Advisory Commission had recommended funding levels slightly higher than this proposal to just maintain the condition of our current roadway system and significantly greater funding to actually improve our system.

Investing in our transportation infrastructure pays dividends both in job creation and by making Pennsylvania more attractive for business. The next step will be for the introduction of legislation in the PA House and Senate to put a funding plan into law. Benchmark will keep abreast of any legislation introduced and we hope that you spend the time to tell your legislators how you feel about funding transportation infrastructure.

Secretary Schoch’s presentation slides can be viewed at the link below.
ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/TRANSPLAN/PennDOT%20PowerPoint%20-%20Transportation%20Funding%20Plan.pdf

Pete Terry

Transportation on St. John, US Virgin Islands

The last week of January is a great time to get out of Pennsylvania and visit somewhere warm. Maggie and I caught a flight out of Lehigh Valley International Airport at 6AM on a 12 degree Saturday morning. We found ourselves on St. John at 3PM that afternoon (include one hour for the time zone change). The weather was in the low 80s and the humidity was about 80%. What a great getaway. The trip included the puddle jumper from Allentown to Philly, a 747 to St. Thomas, and a 50 minute ferry boat ride to St. John.

St. John is a very different world. They drive on the wrong side of the road but the steering wheel is still on the correct side. The roads are narrow and generally very curvy and steep. About 70% of the island is a US National Park. The rest of the island seems to be packed together and I understand there is a moratorium on new building. You can rebuild on existing foundations but nothing new. Most of the island is filled with hills and deep valleys. What areas of the island that are not US National Park are filled with vacation houses and the services to support them.

Parking is a problem on the island. The number of cars on the island is limited and I was surprised that there were very few mopeds or motorcycles. While the harbors were crowded with expensive boats, the cars on the island were pretty plain. The native people on the island lived clearly at the lower end of the economic spectrum. There were lots of weekly visitors, but there were also a lot of what I perceived as the super-rich.

The beaches and water and mountains are definnitely some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. We decided not to rent a car and had no trouble getting around with the taxis and shuttles. It was a wonderful get-away. For a few photos paste this link into your browser.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=1098&PS=PS_aa_South_Google_Westin_St._John_Resort_and_Villas_Photos_SiteLinks_090210_NAD_FM

Pete Terry

Pennsylvania Creates Ground Rules for Private Public Partnerships

PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE PASSES PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP LEGISLATION

Pennsylvania has joined thirty-three existing states that have passed rules for private-public-partnership agreements. Several years ago under the Rendell administration, there was detailed investigation into leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike in an attempt to raise revenue for transportation infrastructure improvements. Pennsylvania did not have any specific guidelines for this type of agreement at that time. The legislature did pass Act 44 of 2007 which included an annual increase to the tolls on the Turnpike and the sale of bonds for transportation infrastructure improvements. Now Governor Corbett has signed Act 88 of 2012 which defines how public-private-partnerships can be formulated. The law now creates the ground rules for Pennsylvania to consider private-public-partnerships as another tool for funding are deficient transportation infrastructure.