PennDOT Announces Funding for Smart Transportation

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently announced it is providing $59.2 million for 50 "Smart Transportation" related projects under the Pennsyvlania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI) program. Smart transportation initatives are designed to improve communities by linking transportation investments to local land use planning. PCTI will fund planning and construction projects that demonstrate creative and efficient ways of addressing various transportation challenges through strong local partnerships and considerations of community goals. PennDOT had received more than 400 applications from municipalities, Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations, and transit authorities requesting more than $600 million. The chosen list of PCTI grant recipients includes planning and construction projects that focus on downtown revitalization efforts, local street connections, multi-use trails, traffic calming efforts, and transit-oriented development studies.

"These investments will stimulate the economy by putting people to work creating sustainable communities that will improve our quality of life and send a clear message that Pennsyvlania is a great place to live and work," said PA Governor Ed Rendell.

"Smart transportation is the way we must be thinking," said PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler, P.E. "We are closely examining costs, accomodating all modes of travel, leveraging and preserving our existing infrastructure, enhancing local street networks, building towns rather than inviting sprawl, planning and designing with thoughtful consideration of community context, and working with local governments."

The PCTI program was created out of a collaboration between 10,000 Friends of PA, a group which advocates for sustainability and smart transportation , and PennDOT. PennDOT has also developed the Smart Transportation Guidebook, which offers a broader range of solutions to balance the unique characteristics of the varying community types across PA with transportation improvements.

The Greater Philadelphia region received $18.5 million in PCTI funding. Among the projects funded includes:

- $1,775,000 to Montgomery County to reduce the width of Hanover Street vehicle lanes in Pottstown and North Coventry Township in order to have room to install bike lanes, parking, and a multi-use trail from River Road to High Street.

- $275,000 to Abington Township to plan for transit-oriented development at the Noble Train station.

- $350,000 to Lower Merion Township to construct bicycle and pedestrian improvements from Cynwyd station to the Cynwyd trail.

- $1,400,000 to Cheltenham Township to construct traffic calming and pedestrian improvements to provide intermodal connectivity in a high density area.

- $2,480,000 to the City of Philadelphia to reconstruct sidewalks and provide pedestrian enhancements and lighting along 10th Street and Berks Street past the Temple Regional Rail station to the corner of Germantown Avenue.

- $1,735,422 to the City of Philadelphia to improve pedestrian safety and provide traffic calming in the Chinatown neighborhood along and around Vine Street between 9th Street and 11th Street.

For more information about smart transportation or to see the full list of PCTI grant recipients, click here.

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What a Trail Means for Your Business

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a conference completely dedicated to trails, specifically multi-use bike trails such as the Schuylkill River Trail. The conference was sponsored by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and brought speakers in from different backgrounds, and different regions. The topic of discussion was how a community can thrive based on the traffic generated by a trail. Now that the warm weather is here, it is time to start thinking about generating business from the trail.
The Schuylkill River Trail parallels the Schuylkill River from its headwaters near Pottsville to the confluence with the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Portions of the trail have been completed, others are under construction, and still others have not advanced beyond the planning phase. The trail runs through the heart of the US 422 Corridor, and is in various stages of development. Pottstown is fortunate to play host to the western trailhead. From Pottstown, cyclists can ride on paved and packed gravel paths to Reading (some sections are on-road). The Schuylkill River Trail over its entire length has tens of thousands of users annually, many using the Pottstown segment.
If you operate a business near the trail, it is time you start inviting the trail users to visit your business. If you are looking to expand your business, or relocate, consider trail access as a valuable asset. Here are some tips that you can use to draw more trail users to your business.
BE BIKE FRIENDLY: Remember, your trail using customers will be on their bikes, and will come back if you provide a friendly, positive experience. Include things such as a water fountain, or bottled water to quench their thirst. Relax any dress codes during cycling hours. Allow cyclists to use your bathrooms. These are simple customer relation issues that make the experience very positive for cyclists.
PROVIDE BIKE FRIENDLY AMENITIES: Is there a place to secure a bike while cyclists visit your business? Consider installing a bike rack, renting bike locks, or providing a bike check. If you want people to come off the trail and into your business, they have to leave their bikes. Without a safe and secure place to leave the bike, trail users won’t come in.
PROVIDE OUTSIDE DINING: Part of the appeal to riding on a nice sunny day is enjoy the outdoors. Cycling also builds and appetite, however trail users may not want to sit inside the restaurant in their cycling clothes. Provide an option for outside dining, non-cycling patrons may enjoy the option as well.
KNOW THE AREA: Many of the cyclists coming off the trail to grab a bite to eat, or get a drink to cool off might be visiting your community and business for the first time. Be friendly, and be prepared to provide directions to some of the area attractions. The last thing a cyclist wants is to get lost in a new town.
Don’t be afraid to use the trail as a marketing tool. If you are located near the trail, advertise it with your marketing materials. Cyclists are customers, and customers will only patronize your business if they know how to get there. Use the trail in recruiting employees as well. Provide a bike rack, and if possible, a shower. Encourage your employees to ride to work, make it fun, it will help attract the best and brightest employees.
Having a trail, such as the Schuylkill River Trail, is an asset to any community. Being a bike friendly business will attract trail users right to your front door. If the experience is positive, they will come back time and time again, and bring more of their cycling friends.

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Obama's Vision for US High-Speed Rail Network

On April 16th, President Obama, with US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at his side, called for $13 billion to be spent in an effort to launch a “new era” of high-speed passenger rail transportation. The announcement coincided with the release of the US Department of Transportation’s High Speed Rail Strategic Plan. The Obama administration has called for $8 billion to come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and go to states for upgrading existing passenger rail lines, while laying the groundwork high-speed rail projects. President Obama said he would seek to budget $5 billion more over the next five years for high-speed rail. The administration has also identified 10 rail corridors which will receive this high speed rail investment, featured in the picture to the left of this post. Among these corridors is the Amtrak-operated Keystone Corridor, which runs from Philadelphia, through Harrisburg, to Pittsburgh.


Many comparisons have been drawn between President Obama’s vision for a national high-speed rail system and President Eisenhower’s push for the interstate highway system 50 years ago. The US DOT High Speed Rail Strategic Plan, notes that strong public sector leadership and private sector partnership were instrumental in the development of the national interstate and aviation networks in the 20th century. However, both of these travel systems face mounting congestion, and combined, they represent roughly 70% of our nation’s oil demand and contribute 28% of our greenhouse gas emissions. The plan acknowledges that highway and aviation travel are indispensable forms of transportation, but a new approach to solving our nation’s transportation problems, which incorporates the economic, environmental, and energy challenges into its planning, is needed.


The answer, according to the administration, is a high-speed passenger rail network of 100 to 600 mile intercity corridors that connects metropolitan regions across the U.S. Establishing high-speed commuter rail in these corridors promotes the “Smart Growth” approach to community investment, leading to higher density development in urban communities. High-speed rail is also much more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, as the US Department of Energy 2007 Transportation Energy Data Book notes that even the modest commuter rail network consumes one-third less energy per passenger mile than automobiles. The initial $8 billion jump start from the ARRA is merely the beginning of what will be a long-term commitment from both the state and the federal level. The US DOT strategic plan is also just the first step in elaborating the President’s high-speed rail corridor vision, to be followed by the President’s FY 2010 budget, the National Rail Plan called for by Congress, and discussions over future surface transportation legislation. To read the entire High Speed Rail Strategic Plan, click here.

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