(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed H.R. 2, the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act, which provides $494 billion over five years to make infrastructure investments in surface and rail transportation.  Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17), a member of the Committee, voted in support of the legislation.

“The millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, and the millions more young people looking for a start in life in the middle of this pandemic, deserve to see us come together in support of this infrastructure bill.  Building infrastructure is our most powerful tool to create jobs and improve the playing field for all businesses,” said Lamb.

“In Western Pennsylvania, our parents and grandparents left us a strong system of roads, rails, bridges, locks, dams, streetcars, and more – an investment that paid off throughout the twentieth century,” added Lamb.  “It now falls to our generation to rebuild and improve upon this system for the twenty-first century.  This bill is an important down payment, and its focus on American jobs and American steel could not come at a better time.”

Prior to the development and consideration of H.R. 2, Lamb sent a letter to the Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee outlining his priorities for inclusion in the INVEST in America Act.  In the letter, Lamb called for significant investment in rail, highways, structurally deficient bridges, public transit and research and innovation.  He also outlined the need for strong Buy America provisions as well as support for American workers.

In May, Lamb and Representative Bob Gibbs (OH-7) led a bipartisan letter to congressional leadership to ask them to provide $50 billion in immediate funds to state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in light of COVID-19’s impact on transportation and infrastructure projects.  H.R. 2 includes important additional FY2021 funds and flexibilities to help state DOTs meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Lamb successfully fought for the inclusion of multiple provisions in the final bill, including language that:

• Ensures landslide stabilization projects are eligible for the pre-disaster mitigation program;
• Ensures that autonomous vehicle developers, not just manufacturers, are included in the working group on autonomous vehicles;
• Strengthens the domestic steel industry by requiring mill certifications for bus shells, to verify that they are made with domestic steel for purposes of Buy America enforcement;
• Strengthens the domestic steel industry by ensuring imported buses cannot get Buy America domestic credit; and
• Protects U.S. steelworkers by amending the definition of “highly skilled labor costs” for the Buy America provisions in the bill to close loopholes in the accounting of domestic labor costs.

The INVEST in America Act will:

• Address the large backlog of roads, bridges, and transit systems in need of repair and replacement;
• Build resilient infrastructure that will withstand climate change and extreme weather events;
• Design streets that are safer for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists;
• Put the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector by prioritizing carbon pollution reduction, investing in public transit and the national rail network, building out fueling infrastructure for low and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials;
• Sharply increase funding for public transit options to integrate technology and increase routes and reliability with tools such as bus-only lanes and priority signaling;
• Make transformation investments in Amtrak in order to create a robust, reliable rail system, and to address long-neglected maintenance needs in the Northeast Corridor and throughout the country while also enhancing rail worker and passenger safety and helping communities address grade crossing issues; and
• Improve access to federal funding to help communities around the country undertake transformative projects that are smarter, safer and made to last.

Following passage by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the bill now goes to the full House for consideration.  Click here to learn more about INVEST in America Act (H.R. 2).

Atlanta police call out sick over charges in fatal shooting
By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta police officers have called out sick to protest the filing of murder charges against an officer who shot a man in the back. The interim chief told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that members of the force feel abandoned amid protests demanding massive changes to policing. Rodney Bryant said the department has sufficient staff to protect the city. It’s not clear how many officers have called out, but a union representative said just one officer showed up for work Thursday morning in one zone. Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against the white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks, who was black.

Line Painting Operations Continue Next Week in Allegheny and Beaver Counties

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that line painting operations on various roadways in Beaver and Allegheny counties will occur Monday through Friday, June 22-26, weather permitting.

Work to repaint lines will occur from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day in the following locations:

Beaver County

• Route 65 in various municipalities
• Route 3007 (Brodhead Road) in Center and Hopewell townships and the City of Aliquippa
• Route 3016 (Green Garden Road) in Raccoon and Hopewell townships

Allegheny County

• I-279 Parkway North between the I-79 split in Franklin Park Borough to Camp Horne Road exit (Exit 8) in Ohio Township
• Route 837 in various municipalities
• Route 19 in various municipalities in northern Allegheny 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.

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.

AP Explains: Juneteenth marks day last enslaved people freed
By TERRY TANG Associated Press
Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago. Now, with support growing for the racial justice movement, 2020 may be the year the holiday reaches a new level of recognition. Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and 19th. It’s the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform the last enslaved black people they were free after the Civil War. Juneteenth celebrations began the next year in Galveston and eventually reached other states. While the coronavirus pandemic is moving many celebrations online, states, cities and companies are moving to make the day an official holiday.

Utility regulators keep moratorium on service terminations
By MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission is rejecting an attempt to end its three-month-old moratorium preventing utilities from terminating service to non-paying customers while the state fights the spread of the coronavirus. Thursday’s 2-2 vote means the motion failed. Commissioner John Coleman sought to allow electric, water, sewer and telephone utilities to restart termination processes in July. Coleman says courts could end Wolf’s emergency disaster order at any time, and electric utilities are warning that customers are piling up large unpaid bills that will require “aggressive” collection efforts beginning in early August. The commission’s order halts terminations, but not collection activities.

10-month-old hurt in car-buggy crash dies from her injuries
HOPEWELL, Pa. (AP) — A 10-month-old girl who was critically injured when the horse-drawn Amish buggy she was riding in was struck by a car this week has died from her injuries, State police say the crash happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday in Hopewell, when a 56-year-old woman driving uphill rear-ended the slow-moving buggy. The girl and three other people in the buggy, a 3-year-old boy, a 20-year-old woman and another adult, were injured and taken to a hospital, but the car’s driver wasn’t hurt. The girl’s death was announced Thursday. The injured boy is expected to recover from his injuries, while the two adults were treated for undisclosed injuries and released.

3 found shot to death, police seek vehicle and suspect
WILKINSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gunfire in western Pennsylvania has left three people dead. The shooting took place early Friday near Coal Street in Wilkinsburg. Police say they found a man and a woman dead near a car and a man was found shot to death in another vehicle. Their names have not been released. Police are searching for a suspect who was seen driving a blue Pontiac G6. No other information was available.

PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Juneteenth National Freedom Day

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Friday, June 19, 2020, in observance of Juneteenth National Freedom Day.   Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.

Customers may continue to complete various transactions and access multiple resources online at www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services 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.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot/.

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

Story by Beaver County Radio News correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Aliquippa School Board approved a 1 mill tax increase for 2020-2021 last night The total budget is $24,991,524.  Real estate tax on buildings will be 40.5 mills, and 258 mills on land, representing a 3 mill increase. All other taxes will remain the same as in previous years, according to Business Manager Debbie Engleman.