VIDEO: Meet Our New Board Chair, Armstrong County Commissioner Pat Fabian

Armstrong County Commissioner Pat Fabian was recently elected to serve as our organization's Board Chair. He will serve as our Board Chair for the next two years. Commissioner Fabian recently sat down with our team to talk about his new role as Chair, how Armstrong County utilizes our organization as a resource, and his plans to continue fostering collaboration among our members.

Commissioner Fabian has served as an Armstrong County Commissioner since 2016. During his time as Commissioner, Fabian has increased the County’s operating reserve fund from $600,000 to $8 million and led efforts to significantly boost the County’s pension funds from $60 million to $85 million. Additionally, he has worked diligently to reduce the County’s debt by 20 percent since he was first elected.

Prior to serving as County Commissioner, Fabian was a Supervisor in Manor Township. Before entering public serve, he spent more than 15 years as an outpatient and family therapist at the Family Counseling Center of Armstrong County where he was responsible for providing counseling to patients and creating individualized treatment plans. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Gannon University and a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

A Major Win for Our Region

Recently, our region was awarded a substantial investment of $132 million aimed at revitalizing key bridges in Allegheny County. Lt. Governor Austin Davis and Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll unveiled this critical funding during a press conference that highlighted the significance of these infrastructure investments. Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, joined the Lt. Governor and Secretary Carroll at the press conference.

The investment of $132 million in Allegheny County's bridges underscores a commitment to ensuring the safety and efficiency of our transportation networks. Bridges are vital conduits for our region's economic vitality, connecting communities, and facilitating commerce.

This substantial funding injection will not only address much-needed repairs but also pave the way for enhanced mobility and accessibility for residents and businesses alike. The bridges slated for repair - Fort Duquesne, West End, and McKees Rocks - serve as lifelines for commuters and freight movement, playing an integral role in the daily lives of thousands of residents that call Southwestern Pennsylvania home.

Our organization recognizes the transformative impact of infrastructure investment, not only in bolstering economic development but also in enhancing the overall quality of life for residents.

As stewards of regional transportation planning, we remain dedicated to collaborating with state and local partners to ensure strategic allocation of resources that address the evolving needs of our communities.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visits the Region to Highlight a $142M Award in Federal Funding

In a recent visit to the region, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, alongside elected officials like Lt. Governor Austin Davis, Senator John Fetterman, Congresswoman Summer Lee, Congressman Chris Deluzio, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, announced a significant development for the region: a $142 million grant allocated for the Eastern Pittsburgh Multimodal Corridor project.

The project will provide improvements for residents residing in the eastern suburbs of Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, and the southern portion of Indiana County, offering expedited commuting routes. These funds will facilitate enhancements to the MLK Busway, the Parkway, remediation of the "bathtub," and the repair of several bridges. By mitigating congestion along the Parkway and enhancing overall accessibility, the region stands to experience a marked improvement in transportation efficiency.

Specifically, this project will:

Install a new flood wall that fixes the re-occurring flooding in the bathtub in downtown.
Build a hard shoulder for buses on the parkway between Churchill and Edgewood Avenue and construct a new ramp to connect I-376 with the East Busway. This would provide buses an alternate inbound route from the eastern suburbs to the Busway.
Deploy an Active Traffic Management system for the Parkway. Components will include overhead gantries every quarter to one-half mile, overhead lane use control signs, variable speed limit signs, queue and wrong-way detection system with automated motorist advisories, and dynamic message signs along the corridor and intersecting roadways.
Install Adaptive Traffic Signal Control along 4.8 miles of two important arterials that feed into I-376: Penn Avenue and South Braddock Avenue.
Rehabilitate or replace 10 aging bridges along the busway, and complete slope protection in landslide-prone areas of busway.
Add 1.2 miles of sidewalk, 14 high-visibility crosswalks, and two pedestrian rapid flashing beacons on Business 22 corridor in Wilkins and Monroeville.

The successful acquisition of this federal funding was made possible through collaborative efforts between our organization, PennDOT, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Through a unified approach, our communities will now be able to address pressing transportation challenges. To watch the leaders' remarks from the event, including from Sec. Buttigieg, click here.

Bringing the World to PA!

We were proud to support the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's (DCED) "Bringing the World to PA" economic initiative. Through DCED's Office of International Business Development, our organization, along with the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, hosted an event at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business for participants.

At the event, DCED Deputy Secretary David Briel for the Office of International Business Development, and our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, welcomed participants. As part of DCED's initiative, our organization's role, as the designated Regional Export Network (REN) was to connect individual companies/small business owners with Pennsylvania Authorized Trade Representatives (ATRs) from over 13 countries across the globe.

Our trade and export team is led by Rena Liu-Belshe, Manager of International Trade Export Assistance, and Jackie Pacheco, Senior International Trade Specialist. Rena and Jackie work in our Workforce and Economic Development department.

During the event, we were able to connect 30 companies from across our region with ATRs which resulted in 110 one-on-one meetings. Both Rena and Jackie have worked at our organization for more than 20 years.

The Bringing the World to PA economic initiative presents an opportunity for Pennsylvania companies to meet one-on-one with Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representatives (ATRs) at a series of events that were held in 10 different locations across the Commonwealth. At each event location, Pennsylvania’s ATRs met with companies/small business owners that were seeking foreign market intelligence, agent and distributor candidates, industry and government contacts, as well as on‐the‐ground assistance abroad.

Celebrating Progress: New Trails and Bridge Rehabilitation in Armstrong County

Our organization was proud to celebrate a significant milestone in Armstrong County earlier this month—it was a moment that marked not only the expansion of recreational opportunities but also a testament to dedicated community efforts and collaboration. Recently, 10 miles of new trail opened and the rehabilitation of the Kiski bridge was completed, a project years in the making, showcasing the enduring commitment to enhancing our region's recreational and economic landscape.

Chris Ziegler, the Executive Director of Armstrong Trails, whose unwavering dedication and tireless efforts have propelled this project from vision to reality has been instrumental in navigating the complexities and challenges along the way.

Armstrong County Commissioners John Strate, Anthony Shea, and Pat Fabian (our Board Chair), along with Cindy Dunn, the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Larry Shifflet, the Executive Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) were at the event to celebrate the opening of the trail. Additionally, about 125 residents including trail enthusiasts and representatives from foundations and non-profits were also there.

Future Funding Opportunities

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a rolling NOFO for the Bridge Project and Planning Project portions of the Bridge Investment Program (BIP). Bridge Project Grants are available for bridges with total eligible project costs up to $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $2.5 million, and maximum grant awards of 80 percent of total eligible project costs. Planning Project grant applications are available for planning, feasibility analyses, and revenue forecasting associated with the development of a project that would subsequently be eligible to apply for assistance under BIP in the future. For FY 2025 funding, Planning Applications are due October 1, 2024, and BIP Bridge Project Grant applications are due November 1, 2024.

As a reminder, in September, the FHWA issued a rolling NOFO for the Large Bridge Project portion of the BIP. Applications for Large Bridge Project Grants (>$100mil) will be accepted through August 1, 2024 for consideration of FY 2025 funds. More information on all BIP grants can be found here.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) provides discretionary grants to support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, personal conveyance, micro-mobility users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators. Two upcoming deadlines are in place for SS4A applications are May 16, 2024 and August 29, 2024.

The Federal Highway Administration’s Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) provides project funding for two different grant categories: (1) Planning and Design Grants and (2) Construction Grants. These discretionary grants to enable eligible entities to plan, design, and construct eligible projects that provide safe and connected active transportation infrastructure in an active transportation network or active transportation spine. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 17, 2024. See the ATIIP Grant Alert for details.

Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) – INFRA, Mega & Rural Grant Programs uses funds for the INFRA, Mega, and Rural funding opportunities to provide Federal financial assistance to highway and bridge, intercity passenger rail, railway-highway grade and separation, wildlife crossing, public transportation, marine highway, and freight and multimodal projects, or groups of such projects, of national or regional significance, as well as to projects to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas. The deadline to apply is May 6, 2024. See the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Alert for more details.

The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program provides competitive grant funding for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities. Applications are due April 25, 2024. More information can be found here.

If your organization or government entity is interested in pursuing funding under these or other opportunities and has questions or requests for support, please contact Lillian Gabreski, Manager of Sponsored Programs Development, at lgabreski@spcregion.org.

ICYMI: News We're Paying Attention To

The Leader Times: SPC Board announces the election of new officers

The Beaver County Times: Southwest Pennsylvania Commission leading charge for better transportation infrastructure

The Daily Courier: Vicites advances through SPC leadership

Pittsburgh Business Times: 2024 30 under 30 honorees announced: SPC'S Lillian Gabreski

KDKA-TV: VIDEO: Ohiopyle named the best small town in the Northeast

The Herald Standard: Greene awarded $946,000 to support sidewalk, pedestrian safety improvements

Butler Eagle: Butler awarded $1.5M to improve sidewalk and pedestrian safety

WTAE-TV: VIDEO: Bus lane project on Parkway East aims to ease inbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel traffic

Indiana Gazette: Baltimore bridge collapse affects shipments of billions of tons of area goods

Observer-Reporter: Vicites, McClure elected to SPC board

Butler Radio: City of Butler Receives Grant To Improve Sidewalks On Main Street

The Leader Times: Armstrong Trails celebrates the opening of the Crooked Creek-to-Schenley section

The Daily American: USA Today readers name Ohiopyle the Best Small Town in the Northeast

The Courier Express: Armstrong's Fabian to lead Southwestern Commission

Valley News Dispatch: Hundreds turn out for Gilpin trail opening, look forward to completion of next leg this year

Pittsburgh Union-Progress: Special federal grants will fund new transit projects, Pittsburgh road projects, more bike rentals, trail improvements

Observer-Reporter: Greene awarded $946,000 to support sidewalk, pedestrian safety improvements

Post-Gazette: State, local officials announce $132 million for repairs to three Pittsburgh bridges

The Daily Courier: PennDOT previews 2024 construction projects

Butler Radio: Fitzgerald Details Goal As New Leader Of SPC

The Herald Standard: Commissioners request grants to fund extension of Sheepskin Trail

PGH Union-Progress: Pittsburgh moving ahead on nearly $500 million of bridge work recommended by consultant

The Leader Times: Kittanning Borough is awarded $500K from the SPC for streetscape project

Tribune-Review: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to visit Pittsburgh to announce federal infrastructure funds

Pittsburgh Business Times: New wave of infrastructure funding is flowing in to bring upgrades around Pittsburgh

WESA-FM: State to provide additional funding to speed up 3 Pittsburgh bridge repair projects

Butler Eagle: Butler Eagle: Chamber event explains ways the region can grow, how it's thriving

Post-Gazette: Have an idea or a project for reducing climate pollution? The government wants to know about it

Indiana Gazette: Indiana Gazette: Fitzgerald plans tour of Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's member counties

Pittsburgh Union Progress: Time to deliver: Federal grants will lead to $237.2 million of work on Parkway East, East Busway

Looking Ahead to Our Upcoming Public TIP Meetings

As the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), we are responsible for leading our ten-county region's transportation and infrastructure planning. Our coverage area consists of the City of Pittsburgh, as well as Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Westmoreland, and Washington counties.

Through this work, we develop a Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) that provides Southwestern Pennsylvania with specific infrastructure and transportation initiatives that need addressed over the next 25 years. The LRTP is implemented with a series of shorter-term investment plans, known as Transportation Improvement Programs, or TIPs.

Each TIP is a step along that 25-year investment in our region’s future. During the TIP period (2025-2028), approximately $4.5 billion in state, federal, and local funds will be invested to improve our region’s transportation system over the next four years. The 2025-2028 TIP is comprised of projects and programs that serve multiple transportation modes and connections in our region.

Since we are responsible for drafting the TIP, we are required by the state and federal government to host public meetings and a 30-day public comment period in an effort to solicit feedback on the plan. The 30-day public comment period will start Wednesday, May 8 and run through Friday, June 7.

Please know that we very much welcome members of the public to attend this meeting, so feel free to let local stakeholders, community groups, and other individuals know about the meetings!

If anyone is unable to attend your county’s meeting, but they would like to share their perspective with us, they can:

email or mail their comments to us at comments@spcregion.org or
mail comments to Southwestern PA Commission, Att: Ronda Craig, Public Involvement Coordinator, 42 21st Street, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

For details on specific dates, times, and locations for each of the meetings, please see the list below or visit our website for more information.

Indiana County | May 8 at 3 P.M.

CareerLink Building, 300 Indian Springs Rd, Indiana, PA 15701
The County will offer a virtual, live-streaming option to this meeting (link available on our website)

Beaver County | May 9 at 11 A.M.

Beaver County Courthouse, Commissioner Mtg Room, 810 3rd St, Beaver, PA 15009

City of Pittsburgh | May 10, 2024 1:30 P.M.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Office, 42 21st Street, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
The City will offer a virtual, live-streaming option to this meeting (link available on our website)

Westmoreland County | May 13 at 1 P.M.

Westmoreland County Courthouse, Commissioners Mtg Room, 2 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601

Armstrong County | May 14 at 2 P.M.

Kittanning Township Volunteer Fire Department, 13126 State Route 422, Kittanning, PA 16201

Allegheny County | May 16 at 6 P.M.

Virtual Meeting (link available on our website)

Fayette County | May 21 at 2 P.M.

Former Gallatin Bank Building, 2 W Main Street, Uniontown, PA, 15401

Washington County | May 22 at 3 P.M.

Washington County Courthouse Square Building Rm 103, 100 West Beau St, Washington, PA, 15301

Greene County | May 29 at 5 P.M.

PennDOT Engineering District 12-Greene County Maintenance Facility, 129 Jefferson Rd, Waynesburg, PA, 15370

Butler County | June 3 at 4:30 P.M.

Virtual Meeting (link available on our website)

Lawrence County | June 4 at 11:30 A.M.

Neshannock Township Municipal Building, 3131 Mercer Rd, Neshannock, PA, 16105

Interested in Joining Our Team?

Our organization is currently accepting applications to hire for two positions: a Manager of Transit Programs and a Senior Transit Planner.

As the Manager of Transit Programs, you would be responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of transit programs, provide technical support, and prepare required program documents like financial projections, project budgets, RFP's, and project scope descriptions. This role will also require managing the day-to-day work of our organization's transit planning staff.

As a Senior Transit Planner, you would lead in the development, implementation, and administration of our organization's transit programs and projects. To learn more and apply for one of these position click here.

We offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental, vision, and FSA insurance (medical insurance premium is paid by us for yourself and your dependents!)
Flexible hybrid work schedule
Modern office environment (we are located in The Terminal, in the heart of the Strip District)
Vacation time, sick time and personal leave
11 paid federal holidays
7 percent automatic monthly contribution to your retirement after three years

This e-newsletter is provided as a service to all SPC members. Please send any comments or suggestions to SPCNews@spcregion.org