Stay Safe While You Are Driving This Winter |
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It's the middle of the holiday season, and more drivers are on the roads headed to parties, cultural performances, and festivities. We've also just kicked off the official winter season, and that will continue to bring hazardous and dangerous weather conditions like snow, sleet, ice, and freezing temperatures our way.
According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 121,000 police-reported crashes and 395 fatal crashes when snow/sleet were involved at the time of the crashes. In the past, Pennsylvania has even been ranked as the fifth most dangerous state in the U.S. for winter weather driving conditions.
This is why we created the sixth video in our Safe Driving video series. We wanted to provide drivers with practical tips on how they can stay safe on the roadways during this time of year. Click on the image above to watch our video or you can also visit NHTSA's website for additional winter weather driving tips.
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$142 Million Grant Secured to Improve the Parkway East and MLK Busway |
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Earlier this week, Senator Bob Casey, Senator John Fetterman, Congresswoman Summer Lee, and Congressman Chris Deluzio announced that our organization was awarded a $142.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Eastern Pittsburgh Multimodal Corridor project.
Senator Fetterman and others have called this grant award a "game-changer" for our region because it will directly impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals. This project will:
- 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, providing more reliable travel times than the current route via Penn Avenue and other local streets.
- Install a new flood wall that fixes the re-occurring flooding in the bathtub in downtown.
- 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.
Overall, this project will streamline travel routes, enhance safety, and increase access for those that live in our region's eastern communities.
"The award of this grant is truly the culmination of our region's hard work," said DJ Ryan, our Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy. "From our team members that proactively sought out this funding, to our partners' efforts to our elected leaders that advocated for this project, it takes all of us coming together towards a common goal to achieve success. Once this project comes to fruition, drivers and commuters will be able to see a noticeable difference when traveling."
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We're Striving to Make Roads Safer for All |
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Earlier this month, we received notification from the U.S. Department of Transportation that we were awarded a $520,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant. SS4A is a discretionary roadway safety grant program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established SS4A as a discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funding that will be distributed over five years.
This program will help communities both plan and carry out projects that reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on highways, streets, and roads. Our organization will use this grant funding to develop a Vision Zero Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (SAP) for Allegheny County.
Josh Spano, our Manager of Transportation Operations and Safety, will lead a team of several staff members working on the SAP. Together, they will identify locations on roads that have high numbers of fatalities and serious injuries, and develop countermeasures that meet safety goals.
"We will do a deep-dive into the data and thoroughly examine the high crash locations within the county," said Spano. "By conducting this research, we will be able to develop a comprehensive plan that will include both overarching safety strategies and specific safety improvements. For those of us that work in this space, it's about helping our communities stay safer and protecting individuals' lives."
Spano and the team will concentrate on developing a comprehensive set of projects and strategies to address safety issues that can be implemented to support the reduction of traffic incidents and fatalities. This work will likely take over one year to complete.
Once the SAP for Allegheny County is complete, the plan will be used as a pilot study to complete parallel plans in our region's other counties. It will also be used as a basis to seek additional competitive federal implementation funding for priority projects identified in the plan.
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Future Funding Opportunities |
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PennDOT’s Round 1A NEVI Funding Opportunity is now available. Round 1A will begin accepting online proposals on Dec. 11 and close on Jan. 26, 2024. Locations within a 1-mile polygon on the Round 1A Priority Locations map will be eligible for funding. Please see the Apply for NEVI Funds webpage for more information.
The Federal Highway Administration (FTA) has issued a NOFO for the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program for FY 2023 and FY 2024. The funding is authorized for the purpose of deploying, installing and operating advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity and infrastructure return on investment. Up to $120 million is available for planning and for the deployment of advanced transportation technologies. The deadline to apply is Feb. 2, 2024. More information, including an informational webinar, is available here.
The 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant program is now open through Feb. 28, 2024. The U.S. Department of Transportation seeks projects that will have a significant local or regional impact that advance Departmental priorities of safety, equity, climate and sustainability, and workforce development, job quality and wealth creation. Previously known as the BUILD or TIGER program, the program seeks multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional DOT programs. $1.5 billion will be awarded in FY 2024, and more information is available here.
If your government entity or organization is interested in pursuing funding under these grants or other opportunities, and has questions or wants a letter of support, please contact Lillian Gabreski. Lillian is our Manager of Sponsored Programs Development and she can be reached at [email protected].
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ICYMI: News We're Paying Attention To |
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Tribune-Review: $142M in federal funding to address congestion, transit along Pittsburgh's Parkway East
Indiana Gazette: Indiana Gazette: State grants totaling $3.4 million go to Indiana County projects
WTAE-TV: $142 million in federal funding to improve Parkway East and MLK Busway
Herald Standard: $1.3 million in funding available to complete Sheepskin Trail section in Uniontown
PGH Union Progress: Allegheny County, Cranberry area receive federal funds for traffic safety studies
WPXI-TV: $142M grant secured for Parkway East, MLK Jr. Busway safety improvements
Tribune-Review: Southwestern Pa. Commission to look for ways to reduce traffic deaths in Allegheny County
Post-Gazette: A second daily Amtrak roundtrip between Pittsburgh and NYC is coming
AP: U.S. employers added 199,000 jobs in November in sign of a still-sturdy labor market
Post-Gazette: FBI: Cyberattack was a targeted 'escalation' on overlooked technology
Herald Standard: Virtual plans on display for Dunlap Creek Bridge rehab, Brownsville Ave. Bridge preservation projects
Technical.ly: Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition has a new strategic plan to boost access by 2030
Cranberry Eagle: Middlesex Township hosts public meeting to discuss transportation plan
Butler Eagle: Washington’s Trail 1753 proposed as ‘national historic trail’
Pittsburgh Union-Progress: Pittsburgh Regional Transit applies for $100 million federal grant to begin replacing light rail trains
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ICYMI: Rich Fitzgerald to Lead Our Organization |
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Recently, our Board of Directors announced that Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald will become the Executive Director of our organization. He will take over on Jan. 2 and brings many years of executive leadership experience to our organization. He has served as Allegheny County Executive since 2012, and was a member of County Council for 11 years including being elected four times and Council President.
Before entering public service, Fitzgerald spent many years in the private sector. He founded and ran his own business, a water treatment services and equipment company. He grew up in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield-Garfield neighborhood before attending Carnegie Mellon University. There, he earned a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in business. He and his wife live in Squirrel Hill, and are the proud parents of eight adult children.
In case you missed the announcement details, click on a few of the media stories to catch up:
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Interested in Joining Our Team? |
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Our organization is currently accepting applications to hire for a Commercial Loan Servicer.
As a Commercial Loan Servicer, you will prepare closing documents, coordinate closings, and close out loans. You will also process loan payments, track delinquency, and send out payment invoices. Additionally, you will maintain the Notary Public status on behalf of our organization. For additional responsibilities and how to apply click here.
We offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package that includes:
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Medical, dental, vision, and FSA insurance (medical insurance premium is paid by us for yourself and your dependents!)
- Flexible hybrid work schedule
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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
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This e-newsletter is provided as a service to all SPC members. Please send any comments or suggestions to [email protected]
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