PennDOT News

PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Juneteenth

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, June 18, through Monday, June 20, 2022, in observance of Juneteenth National Freedom Day (Juneteenth). 

Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas – the furthest point in the south – with news of the end of the Civil War. Slaves were previously unaware they had been freed more than two years earlier when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, or that Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered in Virginia two months earlier.

Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.   

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

A complete listing of PennDOT driver and photo license center closings in 2022 is available online.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram. 

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PennDOT Seeks Public Engagement in Transportation Planning Process

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to participate in a comment period between now and June 30 on the draft 2023 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). 

“We encourage and eagerly anticipate public feedback on our transportation improvement program,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “It is critical to understanding needs and concerns across the commonwealth and helps us shape a vision for Pennsylvania’s transportation future that supports continuing economic growth and opportunity, connectivity, thriving communities, a cleaner environment, and safe travel.”

The draft 2023 STIP reflects the first four years of the 12-Year Program (TYP). It lists prioritized projects identified for federal, state, local, and private funding in each federal fiscal year between 2023 and 2027. Federal funding in the draft STIP is based upon expected funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), a $3.2 billion increase over previously planned amounts.

Included are 23 regional Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs), the independent Wayne County TIP, and two statewide-managed programs, the Interstate Management Program and Statewide Initiatives TIPs, all of which were developed collaboratively between PennDOT, its federal partners, and the state’s metropolitan and rural planning organizations

The draft 2023 STIP can be viewed on the Talk PA Transportation website. The public can comment by filling out the online comment form at the website or emailing RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov. The public may also call PennDOT and share their comments at 717-783-2262 from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.    

An infographic was created specifically for the draft 2023 STIP Comment Period and provides an overview of the process.

State law requires PennDOT to prepare an update to Pennsylvania’s TYP every two years and submit it for approval to the State Transportation Commission (STC). The draft 2023 STIP will be adopted as part of the 2023 TYP update by the STC during the August 17, 2022, STC business meeting. 

After the approval of the 2023 TYP, PennDOT submits the draft 2023 STIP to the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and the US Environmental Protection Agency for a 45-day federal review period. 

Learn more about transportation planning by visiting the Planning page at penndot.pa.gov.

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PennDOT Invites Public Feedback on Components of Proposed State Plan for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today launched a survey for the public to share feedback on the goals, infrastructure-prioritization, and program-administration components of the Draft Pennsylvania State Plan for access to National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funds.

“PennDOT is committed to making future-focused investments in Pennsylvania to update our highway network to accommodate more electric vehicles and hybrids,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “We have received public and stakeholder feedback throughout this process, which is vital to understanding wants and needs as this transformational technology takes hold.”

The survey – which also includes an overview of the Federal Highway Administration’s NEVI Formula Program Guidance – is available at penndot.pa.gov/EV, and will close on Thursday, June 30, 2022. The public can also submit feedback by emailing ra-pdevcorridors@pa.gov. The results of this survey will build upon outreach and discussions the department has previously had and continues to have with lawmakers, planning partners, utilities, local government organizations, EV-charging companies and stakeholders with equity, labor, education, and environmental expertise.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), PennDOT will receive and distribute $171.5 million in formula funds for EV charging infrastructure over the next five years. The department must outline and submit state EV infrastructure deployment plan to the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) by August 1, 2022.

The funding supports the commonwealth goal of expanding EV charging along the previously designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) (list) and Interstate lookalikes. Federal AFC criteria was updated earlier this year to require AFC designated corridors to have charging stations no more than 1 mile from an Interstate exit or highway intersection (previously 5 miles) and no more than 50 miles apart. The department has been reviewing all corridors to align all AFCs with the new criteria.

Pennsylvania has over 1,800 miles of AFCs. Per the guidance from U.S. DOT, any EV charging infrastructure installed with NEVI formula funds shall be located along a designated AFC and meet U.S. DOT minimum standards and requirements. Should PennDOT determine, and U.S. DOT certifies, that the AFCs are fully built out, then Pennsylvania may use funds to build EV charging equipment on any public road or in any publicly accessible location, including but not limited to parking facilities at public buildings, public schools, and parks.

Additionally, PennDOT – following guidance issued from U.S. DOT – will use its EV Equity Guiding Principles announced this year to help the department evaluate EV proposals in accordance with the federal guidance. The principles aim to increase accessibility to the infrastructure and maximize benefits for all Pennsylvanians and fall into five categories:

• Make EVs more affordable;
• Make EV charging more accessible;
• Invest in fleet electrification;
• Invest in traditionally underserved, low-income, persons of color and otherwise vulnerable population areas; and
• Increase EV awareness, education, and technical capacity.

The commonwealth’s previous work and the new funding will support growing EV usage and industry transitions. There are more than 23,000 EVs registered in Pennsylvania, more than double the roughly 9,700 that were registered in March 2019. To enhance traveler information for the growing number of EV drivers, the state’s traveler information system – 511PA – now also includes EV charging station locations as an option on its traffic map. Using data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the map shows locations across the state by connector type, including CCS, J1772, CHAdeMO, Tesla, and NEMA.

More information on PennDOT’s Alternative Fuel Corridors can be found on the department’s website. 

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