Harrisburg, PA – 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).

Vernon Jordan, activist, former Clinton adviser, has died
By JEFF MARTIN and ERRIN HAINES Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — According to a statement from his daughter, Vernon Jordan, a civil rights activist and former adviser to President Bill Clinton, has died. Jordan’s daughter, Vickee Jordan Adams, released the statement Tuesday to CBS News. She said her father died arond 10 p.m. Tuesday night surrounded by loved ones. After stints as field secretary for the Georgia NAACP and executive director of the United Negro College Fund, he became head of the National Urban League, becoming the face of Black America’s modern struggle for jobs and justice for more than a decade. He was nearly killed by a racist’s bullet in 1980 before transitioning to business and politics. His friendship with Clinton took them both to the White House.

6 Dr. Seuss books won’t be published for racist images
By MARK PRATT Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — The business that preserves and protects Dr. Seuss’ legacy has announced it will stop publishing six titles because of racist and insensitive imagery. Dr. Seuss Enterprises tells The Associated Press in a statement on Tuesday, the author and illustrator’s birthday, that the books portray people in ways that are hurtful. It says the decision to cease publication and sales of Seuss books including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” follows months of deliberations. Books by Dr. Seuss, who was born Theodor Geisel in 1904 and died in 1991, have been increasingly criticized over the way Blacks, Asians and others are portrayed.

(Indiana Twp.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that an un-named male driver fell asleep on the Pa Turnpike around 6:30 Tuesday morning while driving east bound on the Pa. Turnpike in Indiana Twp., Allegheny County. The 2006 Toyota Sienna traveled off the roadway and struck a cement barrier. There were no injuries reported and the vehicle sustained minor damage and the driver who was given a citation for careless driving.

AAA: Pennsylvania Gas Prices Continue to Rise
After increasing by 13 cents last week, the average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is another two cents higher this week at $2.967 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.967
Average price during the week of February 22, 2021                                $2.940
Average price during the week of March 3, 2020                                       $2.662

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$2.992      Altoona
$2.999      Beaver
$2.999      Bradford
$2.987      Brookville
$2.968      Butler
$2.973      Clarion
$2.972      DuBois
$2.984      Erie
$2.865      Greensburg
$2.998      Indiana
$2.902      Jeannette
$2.985      Kittanning
$2.925      Latrobe
$2.985      Meadville
$2.972      Mercer
$2.888      New Castle
$2.990      New Kensington
$2.996      Oil City
$2.966      Pittsburgh
$2.955      Sharon
$2.985      Uniontown
$2.999      Warren
$2.958      Washington

Trend Analysis:
Gas prices continue to increase, with the national average up nine cents on the week to $2.72. That is a 30 cent increase from the beginning of February, 28 cents more than a year ago and the most expensive daily national average since August 2019.

The latest price jumps are a direct result of February’s winter storm that took 26 U.S. refineries offline and pushed refinery utilization from an average of about 83% down to an atypical low of 68%, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In its latest data, EIA also reported demand at 7.2 million barrels per day. Both utilization and demand rates have not been reported this low since last May.

AAA forecasts the national gas price average to increase in March. However, if refineries resume normal operations, and if crude oil prices show signs of stability, motorists may see some relief at the pump towards the end of the month.

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $2.03 to settle at $61.50. Crude prices rose mid-week despite the EIA’s latest report revealing that total domestic crude inventories increased by 1.3 million barrels last week, bringing the supply level to 463 million barrels. For this week, crude prices could rise if the EIA’s next weekly report shows a decrease in total stocks.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 73 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) An off-duty fire fighter was giving a man CPR when Pittsburgh Police arrived on the scene after a Jeep crashed into a pole under the canopy at a gas station near Station Square early Tuesday morning. The incident took place just after 1:00 AM.  As police investigated they discovered the man had been shot. The White Jeep he was driving also had the rear window shot out. The shooting took place at the American Natural gas station at the intersection of East Carson Street and Arlington Avenue. The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Pittsburgh Police are investigating.

(New Sewickly, Pa.) A one vehicle accident occurred early Saturday morning on the Pa Turnpike in New Sewickley Township according to Pa State Police in Gibsonia.

Jacob Phillabaum from Cokeburg Pa was traveling Eastbound around mile marker 19.8 at 4:55 AM when he lost control of the 2008 Mazda that he was driving. The vehicle went off the roadway struck the guard rail and then veered across both lanes and off the roadway into the concrete median barrier and came to rest in the left in the left lane. Phillabaum was not injured and is being charged by Troopers with a Violation under code 33091, driving on roadways laned for traffic.