Governor Wolf Announces 22 Municipalities to Improve Traffic Safety with Red Light Enforcement Funds Governor Tom Wolf announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will distribute approximately $12.9 million in Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) funding to 22 municipalities statewide to fund 28 safety projects. Pennsylvania’s ARLE program aims to improve safety at signalized intersections by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue. “This program helps communities across the state make investments in safety and efficient traffic flow,” Governor Wolf said. “These improvements complement the many road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania.” Grant funding is supplied by fines from red light violations at 32 intersections in Philadelphia. State law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility, and reducing congestion can be considered for funding. Municipalities submitted 132 applications, totaling $48.3 million in requests. Projects were selected by an eight-member committee based on criteria such as safety benefits and effectiveness, cost, and local and regional impact. This investment brings the total dollars awarded through the ARLE funding program to $112.7 million, funding 501 transportation enhancement projects since 2010. The Lackawanna County project includes: Lackawanna County Blakely Borough: $123,210 to improve pedestrian safety on Depot Street at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail mid-block crossing. Improvements will include ADA accessible ramps, flashing beacons to alert drivers and pedestrians/cyclists to slow down and be aware of conditions, signage to encourage sharing the road and a high visibility colored concrete crossing. For more information, visit PennDOT’s website, or email ARLE@pa.gov.
Scranton Chamber is All Aboard for New Amtrak Service to Scranton Join us! The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce has prioritized support for economic development efforts in northeast Pennsylvania. As a component, the Chamber Board of Directors has unanimously approved a resolution in full support of the restoration of a rail passenger service between Scranton, the Poconos, and New York City—as proposed by Amtrak and included in the recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Bill. The resolution was forwarded to the Office of the President, Governor Wolf, and elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels. If established, this new service would provide positive recruitment opportunities for businesses, education institutions, as well as the tourism and recreational industries and more – with an estimated annual impact of $87 million. The next step is the support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With that, we’re asking businesses to back the Amtrak rail service proposal by sending a message to Governor Wolf, the Secretary of Transportation (PennDOT), as well as other federal, state, and local officials. You can very simply reference support for the Chamber resolution (see draft message and contact list below) or craft your own message. Similarly, we encourage those who would like to support this effort individually to visit the Scranton Rail Restoration Coalition website to sign a petition in favor of the project. You can review the Chamber resolution here. Sample Support Letter Contact List
