West Lackawanna Avenue Bridge and Elm Street Bridge Replacement Projects Virtual Plans Displays and Public Meetings Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), announces Online Plans Displays and Virtual Public Meetings for the West Lackawanna Avenue Bridge Replacement Project over Norfolk Southern Railroad and the Elm Street Bridge Replacement Project over the Lackawanna River in the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County. In accordance with Governor Wolf’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the comment period and public meeting will be held online only. The comment period will be open from June 16th to July 16th, 2021. The virtual plans display for each bridge project includes digital picture boards and an online comment form. The plans displays can be accessed by visiting the PennDOT District 4 Website: www.pennDOT.gov/regionaloffices/district-4/, clicking on Public Meetings under District Links, choosing the tile for Lackawanna County and then selecting the tile for West Lackawanna Avenue Bridge or Elm Street Bridge. The purpose of the plans displays is to introduce the projects and receive public input regarding any questions or concerns with the projects. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the projects’ potential effects upon Cultural Resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. A public meeting for each bridge project will be held on June 30th, 2021 virtually via Microsoft Teams. The Elm Street Bridge public meeting will begin at 5:00 PM and the West Lackawanna Avenue Bridge public meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. Individual registration will be required for each meeting. To register for either meeting, contact Michael Grantner, Design Consultant Project Manager, at WLackawannaAveBridge@stvinc.com, at ElmStreetBridge@stvinc.com, or at 215.913.5998. Persons requesting language or hearing assistance may contact Michael Grantner at the contact information provided above. Requests should be made at least five business days prior to the public meeting. Those unable to access the project information online may give feedback by contacting PennDOT Project Manager Summer Koziel, at skoziel@pa.gov or 570.963.4048.
PennDOT Invites Public Review, Comment on 2021 Transportation Performance Report Pennsylvanians can view ratings of the state’s efforts in transportation safety, mobility, system preservation, and accountability in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) 2021 Transportation Performance Report (TPR), viewable at TalkPATransportation.com. The TPR is a biennial report and is developed in a combined effort between the State Transportation Commission (STC), the State Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), and PennDOT. The report is the first step in the state’s transportation program planning process and helps to evaluate the system’s performance and opportunities for progress. “The Transportation Performance Report highlights PennDOT’s progress across major aspects of our system including safety, mobility, preservation, accountability, and funding,” PennDOT Secretary and State Transportation Commission (STC) Chair Yassmin Gramian said. “We will use this to help develop our next 12-Year program, as well as inform our Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Freight Movement Plan. The release of the 2021 TPR also signals the start of the STC’s and PennDOT’s 2023 12-Year Program Update Public Comment Period. PennDOT conducts a statewide 45-day Public Comment Period every two years to collect public comment on multimodal transportation needs, issues, and concerns. The public feedback collected during the Public Comment Period is used to inform the 12-Year Program and other state and regional transportation plans and programs such as Pennsylvania’s Long Range Transportation Plan and the Freight Movement Plan. The Public Comment Period is open now through Wednesday, April 14. During this time the public will be able to submit feedback by taking a Transportation Survey, emailing comments to RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov, or calling 717-783-2262 from 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM to request a printed copy of the survey, or to complete the survey by telephone. PennDOT’s Online Public Forum is set for Tuesday, March 23, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The Public Forum will be broadcast statewide via Zoom and Facebook Live and features PennDOT Transportation Secretary Yassmin Gramian. The public will be able to submit transportation-related questions to PennDOT during the Public Forum. Questions may also be submitted in advance of the Public Forum by filling out the online registration form or by emailing RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov. The public may also call PennDOT and share their questions to be answered at the Public Forum at 717-783-2262 from 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Additional details on the Public Comment Period, the Transportation Survey, and the Online Public Forum are available at TalkPATransportation.com. PennDOT will make all reasonable modifications to policies, programs, and documents to ensure that people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. In accordance with Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the Public Forum will be held online only. Interested individuals who do not have internet access should contact PennDOT at 717-783-2262 to obtain the call-in number for listening-in only. To request assistance to participate in the survey or Public Forum, please contact PennDOT’s Program Center by emailing RA-PennDOTSTC@pa.gov or calling 717-783-2262 from 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Requests for Public Forum assistance should be made by Monday, March 15. If you have other questions or challenges, please contact PennDOT’s Bureau of Equal Opportunity to request help by emailing penndot_eoreports@pa.gov or calling 1-800-468-4201; TTY (711).
