SPC allocates $6 billion in funding to different transportation projects

PITTSBURGH – The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) board of directors recently approved around $6 billion in funding, as part of its 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

This federal and state funding will be used to help with different transportation projects in the 10-county region, including bridge maintenance and repair, and for roads, bus and passenger vehicles, and other safety projects.

The goal of the TIP is to identify the region’s highest priority transportation projects, programmed for advancement, over the next four years.

The SPC consists of the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland, and the City of Pittsburgh.

It also consists of PennDOT, the office of the governor, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the Transit Operators Committee, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

The full report can be viewed on the SPC website, spcregion.org.

Different kinds of funding and projects

The 2023-2026 TIP was developed in accordance with the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) ACT, and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the latter of which authorized $567.5 billion in spending over a five-year period.

Among the different kinds of projects approved, 41 projects, worth $199.5 million, will be made to make the region’s roadway system safer, such as improvements to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps, at-grade railway crossing upgrades and intersections.

Specific examples include the Freedom-Crider Road and Lovi Road intersection in Beaver County, Bates Street in Pittsburgh, and the Route 30 corridor in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

A total of 57.1 million ($14.2 million per year) will go to Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding.

Specific examples include Route 2040/Seco Drive to Brownsville Road in Allegheny County, Route 65 (East Washington Street) in Lawrence County and Liberty Avenue improvements in Pittsburgh.

A total of $659 million will be used to reduce the number of poor bridges and the square footage of poor bridge deck areas.

Specific examples of major bridge rehabilitation include the Highland Park Bridge in Pittsburgh, the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge in Allegheny County, the Rochester-Monaca Bridge in Beaver County and the East Washington Street Bridge in Lawrence County.

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Some local bridges will be fixed, including the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, the Swinburne Bridge in Pittsburgh, the Patton Street Bridge in Allegheny County, the Loughheads Bridge CB No. 9 in Beaver County and the Wallace Road Bridge in Lawrence County.

Work will be done to rebuild and rehabilitate approximately 446 miles of highway, including Campbells Run Road reconstruction and Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh, Route 65 highway restoration in Beaver County, East Washington Street (SR 65) restoration in Lawrence County and Route 66 pavement preservation in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Over $476 million, in state and federal public transit funding, will be used to maintain the public transportation system, including $290.5 million for fixed guideway capital maintenance and rail vehicles, $181 million in capital bus facilities and equipment, $279,000 in bus signal and communication equipment and $4.6 million in bus stop and terminal maintenance.

Different projects will be done to alleviate congestion and improve reliability on roads, which include Interstate 79/Route 910 improvements in Allegheny County, and traffic signal upgrades on Frankstown Avenue in Pittsburgh.

A total of 109 projects, worth nearly $644 million, will be used to enhance communities, promote economic vitality and facilitate freight movement in the region.

Some examples of those projects include improvements to the Interstate 376 corridor and interchange in Allegheny and Lawrence counties, upgrades to the Wilkinsburg Transit Center in Allegheny County, improvements to the Monaca Gateway Corridor in Beaver County, reconstruction projects to Penn Avenue and Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh and sidewalk extensions in Union Township in Lawrence County.

A total of $18.2 million will be dedicated to the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA) program, to expand sidewalks, bicycle lanes and shared-use paths.

Examples of these projects include $280,000 towards the purchase of eight bus stop extension pads to expand rider waiting areas for the Port Authority of Allegheny County; $1 million for bike lanes and pedestrian improvements along Pearce Mill Road in Allegheny County; $1 million to install sidewalks in Union Township, Lawrence County; $358,527 for sidewalks, curb ramps, ADA strips, high-visibility crosswalks and pedestrian countdown signals in Shaler Township, Allegheny County; $1 million in green infrastructure, pedestrian safety and passage, green enhancement for the Southside Flats neighborhood of Pittsburgh; $284,440 for the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Brackenridge Borough in Allegheny County; and $775,750 for Summit Park Drive in North Fayette Township in Allegheny County.

A total of 12 projects were added as part of the Congestion Management and Air Quality (CMAQ) program to improve the air quality of the region.

Some examples of these projects were $1.2 million TMA TDM programming and outreach, $5.416 million for the PAAC Wilkinsburg Transit Center, $6 million for the PPC –Marine & Landslide Equipment Re-Power program, $2,319,296 for Route 50 signal upgrades, $3,322,679 for the Frankstown Avenue signal improvement project, $611,568 in Route 8 signal upgrades, $1,406,129 in Route 286 signal upgrades and $2.5 million for the PAAC Transit Access improvement program, all in Allegheny County.

A total of $4,927,700 was allocated to the SPC to help private, not-public, transportation firms with capital costs, automated passenger counters, computer hardware, marketing services and software procurement.

A total of $11,059,744 was given for the Statewide Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund Program, with $1 million towards Bates Street Improvement in Allegheny County, $6,575,000 for phase one of the Aliquippa East End Gateway in Beaver County and $2 million for the Monaca Gateway in Beaver County.

A total of $216,853,599 was allocated for capital maintenance program projects for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), including projects on the Interstate 76 Turnpike Mainline within the SPC region.

Allegheny County allocation and projects

A total of 139 projects were given for highway program projects in Allegheny County.

The Airport Corridor Transportation Association was given $3,073,260 for operating assistance, while the Heritage Health Foundation Transit was given $4,082,040 in operating assistance.

The Pittsburgh Regional Transit, formally known as the Port Authority of Allegheny County, was given $65,286,988 in FTA capital assistance, $42,856,988 in preventative maintenance costs for buses, $9,497,772 for support vehicles, $28 million for a vehicle overhaul program, $98,560,578 for the purchase of low-floor clean-diesel buses, $74,392,750 for debt service on capitol bonds, $1,122,240,436 in operating assistance, $2 million for a transit security grant, $91.5 million in fixed-guideway improvements, $75.7 million in fixed facility improvements, $47.1 million for fixed guideway infrastructure bridge repairs, $24.3 million for IT hardware and software, $72 million for preventative rail maintenance costs, $26,264,794 for shop equipment, $50 million for shared-ride services, $29 million for fixed guideway tunnel improvements, $7.2 million for the FTA elderly and handicapped program and $48,519,318 to purchase new light rail vehicles.

A total of 11 projects were given funding, worth $622,220,813, for the four years, as part of the Interstate Management Program.

Four of those projects were given for I-79: Campbell’s Run to Moon Run, Moon Run to Neville Island, Neville Island to Interstate 279, and Alpine Road-Bridgeville.

Seven projects were given for I-376: Boyce Road to I-79, Edgewood to Churchill, Churchill to Monroeville, the Carnegie Interchange, the Greentree Interchange, phase two for the Parkway East Corridor, and the Commercial Street Bridge. Funding was also given to the Frazier Street Bridge.

Two Statewide Highway Safety Improvement Program projects were awarded in the amount of $5,580,000 ― one for Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh and one for a wrong-way detection system.

A total of $175,000 was allocated for the Western Regional Traffic Management Center, and $450,000 was allocated for the I-376 ramp to Route 48.

A total of $543 million was allocated for a PTC project, the Mon-Fayette Expressway, which will create a new four-lane, limited access, tolled expressway from Route 51 to I-376.

The project will be constructed in three sections, beginning with Route 51 to Route 837, then I-376 to Route 30, and finally from Route 30 to Route 837, including a new bridge over the Monongahela River.

A total of $21.7 million was allocated to help with congestion relief and safety in Pittsburgh, by making improvements to approximately 126 intersections along eight corridors. This will be done through new traffic signals, the addition of vehicular/pedestrian detection, audible pedestrian signals, countdown pedestrian signals and accessible ramps and upgraded communications.

A total of $16.05 million has been allocated to help with the project to develop a frontage road along Loop 376 in Moon Township between Moon-Clinton Road and the Thorn Run Road/I-376 (business loop) Interchange.

In addition, $4,336,075 was allocated to make roadway and intersection improvements, including pedestrian and bicycle connections, at the intersection of Montour Run Road and Market Place Boulevard in Moon Township.

Members of the SPC from the county are county Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Lynn Heckman, Jennifer Beer, Clifford Levine and Allegheny County Councilman Robert J. Macey.

Beaver County allocation and projects

A total of 28 projects were given for highway program projects in Beaver County.

The Beaver County Transit Authority received $2.09 million to purchase paratransit buses, $2.98 million for replacement fixed-route buses, $612,500 for support equipment, $325,000 for ADP hardware and software, $306,000 for facility renovations, $1.8 million for rural operating assistance, $2.77 million in midlife vehicle overhaul, $19,951,648 in state and local operating assistance and $2.4 million in state senior shared-ride revenue.

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As part of the Interstate Management Program, $3 million was given to ITS installation along I-376 in Beaver County.

Members of the SPC from the county are the three county commissioners ― Daniel Camp III, Tony Amadio and Jack Manning ― and Beaver Falls City Manager Charles Jones Jr. and private sector representative Kelly Gray.

Lawrence County allocation and projects

A total of 17 projects were given for highway program projects in Lawrence County.

The Allied Coordinated Transportation Services (ACTS) received $1.86 million for small transit buses, $1.68 million for operating assistance and $40,000 for an operations/safety vehicle.

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The New Castle Area Transit Authority (NCATA) was given $29.83 million in rural operating assistance, $175,000 for garage equipment, $100,000 in bus facility maintenance, $2.95 million for CNG (alternative fuel) buses, $3.97 million for a bus storage facility and $50,000 for support vehicles.

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As part of the Interstate Management Program, $12.68 million was given to I-79 from Butler to Mercer counties, and $7,625,000 was given to I-376 from Route 224 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Members of the SPC from the county include the three county commissioners ― Morgan Boyd, Dan Vogler and Loretta Spielvogel ― and Planning Director Amy McKinney and private sector representative Brad Berlin.

Nicholas Vercilla is staff reporter for the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: SPC allocates $6 billion in funding to transportation projects