For Immediate Release
September 22, 2005
Contact:  Carmine Camillo
Ph: 814-453-2515
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TESTIMONY OF STATE SENATOR JANE M. EARLL
49TH SENATORIAL DISTRICT
State Transportation Commission Public Hearing
Thursday 9/22/05 @ Ambassador Conference Center

Good Morning to you all, and welcome back to Erie… 

If you drove up here, then you already know you drove on the smoothest roads in the Commonwealth.  As I’m sure Commissioner Knoll has told you, we believe PennDOT District 1-0 is the most well-run District in Pennsylvania, and I am proud to represent such a fine administrative team. 

You can see first-hand that the money spent in Erie and Northwest Pennsylvania is put to good use, and that we truly believe in and adhere to the “maintenance first” philosophy. 

“Maintenance first” is a proactive approach to managing our transportation infrastructure.  This requires discipline and planning -two things we are very good at here in Erie County. 

Perhaps the most shining example of “maintenance first” is the stellar condition of our interstate system.  Our interstates, including I-79, I-86, and I-90 have received proactive attention, resulting in smoothness and quality.  In addition to the roads, the bridges (especially on I-90) have been programmed into our TIP.

That is important to note, as a shift in thinking will now result in much of our interstate highway monies being managed by Central Office at PennDOT. 

We are proud to note that our local mass transit provider, EMTA, has exercised sound management of their system; restructuring routes, working with labor, and making the tough decisions necessary to keep a reasonable, sustainable presence in the modal mix for Erie county. 

Yet, we have a sense that without a progressive, incentive-based funding stream, transit providers, like EMTA, cannot be assured of a future role in our transportation agenda. 

WE HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT YOU WANTED US TO DO- we have been proactive; we have made tough decisions; we have spent current dollars to plan for the long term –and, yet, we believe that in so doing, we have actually lost ground to other parts of the state that have not done what we have. 

For example, we have looked at ways to use technology to manage traffic more efficiently, to help us offset the loss of dollars to build/repair roadways. 

That is critical for the future, and we have done the planning necessary to integrate those advances into our roadway systems. 

The Erie MPO has completed a Downtown Traffic study, resulting in the potential removal of many traffic lights to improve traffic flow, and allow us to move traffic in an efficient manner without adding more roads. 

A Planning Study along State Route 19 study has been ongoing, and extremely successful in generating input from the public along the Route 19 corridor in the Summit-Waterford area. 

The end result will tie land use, access management, and transportation safety and efficiency into the planning process for the inevitable build-out of the corridor. 

We have 3 separate teams of consultants studying the Bayfront Corridor now, examining the ultimate development of numerous public and private initiatives, and how these venues will impact the distribution of traffic and commerce into- and out of- the heart of the City of Erie. 

Those teams are also examining our existing network on 12th Street, which has the capacity to ease traffic congestion on the Bayfront without adding new lanes on the Bayfront Parkway itself- but that will take money to implement technology-based solutions (such as dynamic signage and coordinated traffic signals). 

These kinds of approaches will help address the future of roadway systems, as well as private development, in a proactive fashion, and serve as a model process to be used in other parts of Erie County and beyond.

Managing growth and access to existing transportation corridors is a much better use of dollars than building new corridors.  That takes planning, and we have done that in a variety of ways that will help us enhance our current system, rather than just building anew. 

Common points of access, setback ordinances at the municipal level, sound land use planning on a holistic, county-wide basis- these are things that can be done in lieu of more money for more construction (and, ultimately, maintenance). 

While it should not be a surprise to anyone, it is important to state the obvious- transportation and economic development go together like peanut butter and jelly. 

And there is much economic development to plan for; a potential racetrack/casino in Summit Township; redevelopment of a brownfield on the City’s east side into a new industrial park (IP Site), a new juice plant near GE (which will be served by the ESAH); as well as the new Convention Center and related development on the Bayfront- 

Again, we in Erie County have used transportation funds to PLAN for the future, while at the same completing some big-ticket items (like the East Side Access Highway- which was planned for years before being built).

We are one of the first areas of the Commonwealth to explore the TRID and all it has to offer. 

Along with those initiatives is the idea of intermodal integration, something we in Erie County have undertaken in earnest in the last few years. 

Making our transit, roadway, even foot and bike traffic work together in ways that meet the needs of our tourism and business community is imperative (Seaway Trail/Rt. 5, bike trail on ESAH, etc). 

In Erie County, we also have the added modes of rail, as well as an airport and port- all of which will have major impact on Erie’s transportation system in the very near future. 

Expansion of Erie International airport’s runway will improve the entire roadway network around that area, and have an impact on increased cargo traffic as well, perhaps. 

The potential for a truck ferry on Lake Erie may add increased truck traffic to the Bayfront Parkway- this is why the Bayfront studies are so imperative now, to plan for this growth in a holistic fashion. 

Today you will hear more about all of these topics- and I encourage your support for our proactive agenda. 

PennDOT District 1-0 has been consistently lauded for its frugal and prudent use of taxpayer dollars, and our MPO deserves credit as well. 

They represent varied interests, and yet come together to make tough decisions and achieve consensus.  The initiatives they champion deserve support. 

On behalf of my constituents in the 49th District, thank you again for your time today; as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, please know that we in the Senate appreciate the work you do.