LAMB, GIBBS LEAD BIPARTISAN CALL TO FUND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Letter to House Leadership Requests Immediate Infusion in Federal Funding for State Departments of Transportation in Next COVID-19 Relief Package

 (PITTSBURGH, PA) – Representatives Conor Lamb (PA-17) and Bob Gibbs (OH-7), both members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, led a coalition of bipartisan Members in a letter to House leadership encouraging support for state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the next package of COVID-19 relief legislation.  This aid will help critical infrastructure projects move forward, while also keeping other critical state DOT functions operational.

“We are writing in support of the calls for a $49.95 billion infusion of federal funding to state departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the next COVID-19 response legislation,” the lawmakers wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.  “Our transportation system is essential to America’s economic recovery, but it is facing an immediate need as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacts states’ transportation revenues. With negotiations for the next COVID-19 relief package underway, we write to convey our strong support that future legislation includes a provision to address the needs of highway and bridge projects.”

“The coronavirus is having a devastating economic impact on states,” said Lamb.  “We need to take bold action to invest in infrastructure projects to spur our economy and ensure that we are protecting good paying jobs.  This is a strategic investment that will help our state and local communities recover faster while improving our roads and transportation systems.”

“As the coronavirus severely reduces the revenue streams for state transportation agencies, it is clear that transportation infrastructure will need support to fill in the funding gaps for what is truly essential infrastructure,” said Gibbs.  “Because states fund their transportation agencies through fuel taxes and tolls, the funding shortage will disproportionately impact those agencies. When the nation begins returning to normal, and surface transportation traffic returns to pre-coronavirus levels, the reduction in revenue may leave important projects incomplete or unfunded without a boost in any future coronavirus legislation.”

This letter is supported by various groups and coalitions, including, but not limited to: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – National Conference of State Legislatures – Transportation Construction Coalition – American Road & Transportation Builders Association – Associated General Contractors of America – National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association – International Union of Operating Engineers – Laborers’ International Union of North America – Highway Materials Group – American Highway Users Alliance – American Council of Engineering Companies – American Society of Civil Engineers – Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure – National Asphalt Pavement Association – Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO – Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

In addition to Lamb and Gibbs, the bipartisan letter was signed by 135 Members.

Police: Driver shot in parking lot confrontation dies
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a driver shot during a confrontation with another driver in a Pittsburgh parking lot has died. Police spokesman Chris Togneri says the victim was leaving a parking lot in the city’s Knoxville neighborhood Monday night when he got into a verbal confrontation with another driver entering the lot. Police say a person in the second vehicle fired several shots at the victim before the second car drove away. The man was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds to his torso and legs and died during the night. The Allegheny County coroner’s office is investigating.

Pennsylvania plans widespread virus tests in nursing homes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says his administration plans to begin testing every resident and employee for the coronavirus in nursing homes and other facilities caring for older adults. Wolf said Tuesday his administration will undertake the surveillance testing with a goal of testing every resident and employee once a week. Wolf’s health secretary had previously said there wasn’t enough available testing to test everyone in a nursing home. The virus is reported by Wolf’s administration to have killed more than 2,600 residents of nursing homes or personal care homes. That constitutes about two-thirds of the state’s overall death toll.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 837 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 57,991

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 12, that there are 837 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 57,991. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

The state is reporting an increase of 75 new deaths today, bringing the statewide total to 3,806 deaths in Pennsylvania. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

Locally in Beaver County we are still at 493 positive cases there is no increase from yesterday. 2513 people have tested negative in the county Zero additional deaths are being reported as the County is still at to 78.

In the 3 nursing homes that are reporting positive cases in the county the numbers are holding at 324 positive cases. Employee cases are still at 23 and the death toll has is at 71.

“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

There are 237,989 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

• Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
• Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
• 1% are aged 13-18;
• Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
• Nearly 37% are aged 25-49;
• 26% are aged 50-64; and
• 28% are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 12,130 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,724 cases among employees, for a total of 13,854 at 540 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 2,611 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 3,923 of our total cases are in health care workers.

For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.

Non-life-sustaining businesses in the red phase are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently, 24 counties are in the yellow phase of reopening; 13 more will move to the yellow phase on May 15.

PennDOT To Use Existing Photos for Driver License and Identification Card Renewals

Customers with camera cards must still obtain new photos

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that PennDOT will use existing photos on file for customers who renew their driver’s license and identification card.

“Using a customer’s existing photo will help limit the number of people in our driver and photo license centers, and by extension, help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19,” said Acting PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “This new process is not only a convenience, but it will help to keep our customers and staff safe.”

All customers who renew their driver’s license or photo ID card online or through the mail will receive a new product using the most recent photo of that individual that exists in PennDOT’s system. No camera cards will be issued to these customers, and they will receive their new product by mail within 15 days. The renewal process is complete when the final product is received.

Non-commercial driver’s license and photo ID card holders may renew their product online, providing there are no corrections or changes other than a change of address, by visiting www.dmv.pa.gov. Both non-commercial and commercial drivers may renew their products through the mail.

Individuals who renewed their product on or before May 10, 2020 will receive a camera card in the mail and will need to visit a PennDOT Photo License Center to obtain an updated photo. Additionally, non-U.S. citizens must also visit a driver’s license center in person to complete a transaction. For a list of reopened locations, visit www.dmv.pa.gov.

Expiration dates on driver’s licenses, photo ID cards, learner’s permits and camera cards scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020 through May 31, 2020, have been extended until June 30, 2020.

A Pennsylvania driver’s license is valid for four years, expiring on the day after the driver’s birthday. PennDOT will continue to send an Invitation to Renew to each driver three months prior to license expiration. Individuals age 65 or older have the option of renewing their license every two years, instead of the standard four years.

If a customer’s license is nearing expiration and they were planning to get a REAL ID at their time of renewal, they can renew their license or ID and get a standard, “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES” product. The issuance of REAL ID is currently suspended as a mitigation effort in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline until October 1, 2021.

Once REAL ID issuance has resumed, customers with a non-REAL ID product can upgrade to a REAL ID and their new product will include any time remaining on their current product, plus an additional four years – customers won’t “lose” time that they’ve already paid for, and after the initial REAL ID product expires, there is no additional fee (beyond regular renewal fees) to renew a REAL ID product.

Driver and vehicle online services at www.dmv.pa.gov 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; and driver license and photo ID duplicates. There are no additional fees for using online services.

PennDOT will continue to evaluate these processes and will communicate any changes with the public.

More COVID-19 information is available at www.health.pa.gov. For more information, visit www.dmv.pa.gov or www.PennDOT.gov.

Line Painting Operations this Week in Beaver and Allegheny Counties

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that line painting operations on various roadways in Beaver and Allegheny counties will occur Tuesday through Friday, May 12-15, weather permitting.

Work to repaint lines will occur from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day in the following locations:

Beaver County

• Route 288 in Franklin Township
• Route 68 from the City of Beaver to Ohio

Allegheny County

• Route 3009 (Baptist Road) in the Municipality of Bethel Park and Whitehall Borough
• Route 4011 (Rochester Road) from Nicholson Road (Route 4049) to Camp Meeting Road (Route 4032) in Franklin Park Borough
• Route 88 from the City of Pittsburgh to Washington County

PennDOT advises motorists to exercise caution and patience, and suggests allowing at least 250 feet (13 car lengths) behind line painting equipment to avoid damage.  Motorists should avoid passing the paint vehicles unless directed by a paint crew member or flag person to do so.  Passing too quickly can cause damage to fresh paint lines and may result in paint on the motorist’s vehicle.  Line painting vehicles normally pull over every two and one-half miles or when safety permits.  Recent technological advancements on the mix of formulas have produced fast dry paints that are dry to the touch within 2 to 3 minutes.  It is crucial to stay off these lines during the curing period.

Motorists who accidentally get paint on their vehicles should immediately wash the paint off with a high-pressure water stream and detergent.  Dried paint can be removed with de-natured alcohol and a soft cloth.  Generally, PennDOT is not responsible for paint on vehicles.

Roadway line painting is an important part of PennDOT’s highway safety initiatives. Paint lines provide direction, delineation, and guidance to motorists.

Glass beads applied on top of wet paint during the painting process provide retro reflectivity.  These small, spherical beads reflect light during dark hours and periods of low visibility.  As the glass beads become worn or wet, the reflectivity becomes greatly diminished resulting in reduced visibility during dark and wet hours.

Lines need repainting each year because of normal wear, tear, and weather. Winter maintenance activities such as plowing, spreading anti-skid materials, and studded tires are very abrasive to paint lines and can cause fading.  Normal weathering caused by snow, rain, and ice also contribute to line reflectivity reduction.

PennDOT establishes painting schedules to minimize delays to motorist.  On days before holidays and on Fridays, crews will focus on secondary routes to minimize inconvenience for motorists.

Motorists should use caution and be aware of changing traffic patterns when driving through the area.

Visit 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major roadways before traveling.

In response to Gov. Wolf’s Press Conference yesterday House Republicans issued a statement saying that “Name calling is beneath the dignity of the office of the Governor”.

“millions of Pennsylvanians are unemployed, millions more have children who are not being adequately educated and many others are watching their livelihoods fall apart while they have waited weeks for a failed unemployment compensation system to help. Our residents have been trying desperately to get the governor’s attention; however, he has not been listening”

“It is never wrong to lift the voices of concerned constituents. In fact, it is the duty of every elected official to do so. That is not Cowardice, it is patriotic.

“The Governor often touts jobs that pay, schools that teach and government that works. Well Today, Pennsylvanians are hurting , and the Governor is not delivering on those promises.”

Shapiro Issues Consumer Alert: Check Your Credit More Often Through COVID-19 Emergency

HARRISBURG―Attorney General Shapiro today alerted consumers that TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian are providing free credit reports on a weekly basis to users until April 2021. Normally, each report can only be accessed for free once per year.

“My Office encourages Pennsylvanians to take advantage of tools like these to protect themselves during the COVID-19 emergency,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Increased access to credit reports during this crisis will help consumers across the Commonwealth ensure that they’re safe from scammers throughout recovery. I also urge consumers to report any suspicious calls or emails about COVID-19, unemployment applications, or stimulus checks to my Office.”

After visiting AnnualCreditReport.com and entering the prompted information, Pennsylvanians should take these steps to ensure the accuracy of their report:

• Verify all business names and payment dates are correct in the report’s transaction history;
• Verify all addresses, additional lines of credit, and accounts are correct;
• Dispute any unfamiliar or incorrect information—the Office of Attorney General sent a letter to credit reporting agencies reminding them of their obligation to resolve these disputes quickly for Pennsylvania consumers.

Consumers can sign up for text scam alerts, which offer tips for consumers to avoid becoming a victim of a scam, warn about new scams or update subscribers on consumer protection issues. Pennsylvanians can sign up for these tips from our Office at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumer-alerts/. Consumers can also file a complaint about an active or potential scam at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/.