Sep 26, 2013 3 min read

PennDOT Secretary and State Transportation Commission Chairman Barry Schoch talked about state transportation issues, including deteriorating bridges and lack of funding, during an online public meeting Thursday.

During the hourlong webcast, Schoch provided an update on Pennsylvania’s 12-year Transportation Program an answered questions submitted by registered participants.

Schoch said PennDOT receives approximately $7 billion annually and half of that funding is earmarked for highways and bridges.

According to Schoch, the funding is inadequate to address the 40,000 miles of state roads (fifth highest in the United States) and 25,000 state-maintained bridges (third most in the country), and Schoch said PennDOT’s “emphasis is taking care of what already exists and we’re struggling to do that.”

PennDOT announced in August that it will place new or lower weight limits on about 1,000 bridges for safety reasons. Pennsylvania currently has 4,479 structurally deficient state-owned bridges, and Schoch mentioned a bill passed by the Senate that would generate $2.5 billion per year for roads, bridges and transit, but the bill stalled in the House. He also discussed a $1.8 billion annual funding package proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett.

Transportation infrastructure is aging and investment in preservation has fallen short.

In response to one viewer’s question about reduced paving, Schoch said about one-third of counties in the state will not have paving done on state roads as PennDOT continues to address bridge issue.

But there is progress being made in many areas, including safety, Schoch said. Highway fatalities have been declining, as education and enforcement efforts have had an impact on drunken, distracted and aggressive driving, and seat belt use. According to PennDOT’s 2013 performance report, nearly 84 percent of vehicle occupants used a seat belt in 2011.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” said Schoch, who said PennDOT remains concerned about drivers using technology – especially texting – while behind the wheel.

Schoch also said traffic congestion is growing, but PennDOT is looking into ways to operate efficiently, including the establishment of the PA511 system, which provides real-time traffic information and weather conditions to drivers, and dynamic message signs to provide up-to-date information on traffic conditions.

Schoch welcomes collaboration from the private sector to operate traveler information services. For example, Schoch would like for GPS systems to automatically re-route drivers in the event of an accident or emergency.

Residents are invited to visit www.TalkPATransportation.com to provide input on their transportation priorities. Through Oct. 7, the public can submit feedback through the “Tell Us What You Think” survey on the website; email ra-penndotstc@pa.gov to request a printed survey copy; or call PennDOT at 1-855-896-4390.

To date, PennDOT has received about 1,400 responses.