3.3… Transportation

The condition and accessibility of the transportation system has major implications for both the economic health and the quality of life of residents in the Donegal Area. Decisions on what types of business will be attracted and where they will locate are determined by the ease which both individuals and goods can be moved. The ability of the Donegal area’s transportation system to effectively move both visitors and residents is crucial to both the present economy and future growth and development. The Transportation section examines the issues and concerns regarding transportation within the project area, and lays the basis for understanding how development is shaped by the transportation network.

Donegal’s location along the Pennsylvania Turnpike means that it has special transportation needs unique from many other rural areas. The Donegal exit of the Turnpike acts as a gateway for thousands of tourists who travel to various destinations throughout the southern portion of the Laurel Highlands. Destinations such as the ski resorts of Hidden Valley and Seven Springs, as well as the nearby town of Ligonier can be reached via Donegal and congestion is not uncommon, especially during the peak leaf viewing times of the fall and the winter ski season. Transportation

State Route 31 (Mackin Photo, 2007) 3.3…

Section 3…Background Studies Donegal Borough & Donegal Township

PREVIOUS TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan

The Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan was adopted in December 2004; part of the planning process was the crafting of ten principals to guide plans and development. Four of these guiding principals deal directly with transportation.

1) “Prioritize transportation improvements that reduce travel time from key areas of the county, thus reducing congestion on local highways.”

2) “Implement planning techniques and enforce development standards that cluster commercial development and discourage the proliferation of curb cuts on commercial highways.”

3) “Provide more options and fewer roadblocks to varieties of housing types … utilize design techniques that instill a sense of place, and reduce travel time for every day purchases.”

4) “Construction of new turnpike “EZPass” interchanges at State Routes 130 and 981.”

The Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan does not specifically address concerns related to the Donegal Area nor does it offer recommendations for future development related to transportation improvements. However, for the purposes of this Comprehensive Plan, transportation related issues and concerns for the Donegal Area are addressed using the related guiding principals set forth in the Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, recommendations are made in a manner that seeks to best address the goals and priorities of other local and regional planning agencies.

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) classifies all state-owned roads according to functional classifications. The classification of a roadway relates to its basic relationship to traffic levels of service and access. For example: Arterials provide a higher level of service and a greater deal of access control, while Local Roads provide the highest level of access, but provide much lower levels of service.

Collector roads provide a balance between mobility and access. For the purpose of this plan, PennDOT Functional Classifications will be used to describe the road inventory. The road network is graphically shown on Map 3.3A: Local Transportation Network.

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ROADWAY CLASSIFICATIONS

Interstate Highways

The Pennsylvania interstate system includes presently designated interstate routes that meet the federal interstate geometric and construction standards for future traffic demands. This designation is the highest classification of arterial roads and provides the highest level of service at the highest speed for the longest uninterrupted distances (Penn DOT, 2005). Designed to be the safest, all-weather highway network in the United States, the system was originally designed for national defense.

Interstate 76/70 Pennsylvania Turnpike

Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 (PA Turnpike) is a limited access, Interstate Highway that was constructed as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System. The highway transverses Donegal Township east west and provides connections to Pittsburgh to the west, and Harrisburg and Philadelphia to the east. The Donegal Interchange (PA Turnpike Exit 91) is located in Donegal Township and provides direct access to State Route 31 heading east and west.

As the principal connection between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and the Washington D.C./Baltimore area and points west, combined Interstate 76/70 through Westmoreland County is a heavily traveled highway. Traffic counts along this roadway range from 36,000 to 45,000 vehicles daily.

According to information provided by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (B. Heigel, personal communication, December 19 2007), the Turnpike does not have any planned improvements for the Donegal interchange although the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation does have a planned intersection improvement scheduled for State Route 31. However, the turnpike itself has gone through significant reconstruction over the past few years. Beginning in 2002, a reconstruction project to completely rebuild the turnpike between mileposts 85 and 94 was undertaken. This multi-year $66 million project rebuilt the old roadbeds, widened lanes of traffic and created new shoulders to improve traveler safety.

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Pennsylvania Turnpike 66

Pennsylvania Turnpike 66 is a toll highway that begins at the interchange of Interstate 76, and Interstate 70 and US 119. The toll road connects to regional arterials and US 22 at its northern terminus. This roadway provides access from Interstate 76/70 to US Route 30 and US Route 22, which are two of the primary arterials to job and population centers in eastern Allegheny County.

Interstate I-70

Interstate 70 is an east to west limited access roadway that enters Westmoreland County from Washington County and shares an alignment with the Pennsylvania Turnpike 76 beginning at New Stanton. This roadway serves a major freight corridor for heavy trucks as well as a thoroughfare for out of state vehicular traffic and local trips.

Principal Arterials

Principal arterials provide statewide or interstate travel to urbanized areas. They provide integrated movements without stub connections. Design of the roadway usually consists of two (2) 12-foot lanes with 8 to 10 foot shoulders with speeds typically ranging from 45 to 65 miles per hour.

There are no roadways classified as Principal Arterials in the Donegal Area, however, connections to principal arterials in the region can be made via the Pennsylvania Turnpike and State Route 711.

US Route 30

US Route 30 is an east-west highway that bisects Westmoreland County from the Allegheny County line to Somerset County and forms Westmoreland County’s primary commercial corridor. US 30 offers access to regional business centers such as Greensburg, North Huntington Township and eastern Allegheny County via connections from Interstate 76/70.

Minor Arterial Highway

Minor arterials link cities, larger towns and other traffic generators to provide integrated interstate and inter-county service. Minor arterials are spaced at proper intervals consistent with population density. Design of the roadway

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usually consists of two (2) 12-foot lanes with 8 to 10 foot shoulders and speeds typically ranging from 35 to 45 miles per hours.

Minor arterial highways in the Donegal Area are State Route 31 and State Route 711. These routes are the primary routes to and from destinations in Donegal. Most roads in the Donegal Area connect to either State Route 31 or State Route 711.

State Route 31

State Route 31 is the primary route for local traffic in Donegal Township. The road runs the spine of the Township and connects neighboring Somerset County and points east through Donegal Township. The road can be split into three segments.

™ Turnpike Interchange West to Mt. Pleasant Township, which has an average daily traffic of 6,995 of which, 12 percent is truck traffic. ™ Turnpike Interchange to the Sarnelli’s Corner (intersection of SR 31 and SR 381/711) has an average daily traffic count of 6,609 and ten percent is classified as truck traffic. ™ Sarnelli’s Corner (intersection of SR 31 and SR 711/381) to the county line experiences an average daily traffic count of 3,777 and nine percent is classified as truck traffic.

State Route 31 is the commercial corridor of the Donegal Area and thus is the location for most businesses. As such, State Route 31 has a high number of access points that serve local businesses. Most of these businesses have individual points of ingress and egress creating adjacent yet unconnected parking lots. Such land use patterns create increased points of entry onto the roadway and increased turn movements thereby contributing to potential points of conflicts along the roadway. Large numbers of individual access points or curb cuts runs counter to the stated goals of the Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan to “Implement planning techniques and enforce development standards that cluster commercial development and discourage the proliferation of curb cuts on commercial highways.”

PennDOT has two scheduled intersection improvements for State Route 31. One is near the Turnpike Interchange and the second is with the intersection of SR 711, which are to be let for construction in 2010. Currently the project is still in the design phase. The project involves

Final Draft: 7/28/2008 3.3-5 Donegal Borough & Donegal Township

widening State Route 31 to provide a center turn from the area just west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Ramp to just east of the intersection with State Route 711. The existing PennDOT maintenance driveway is proposed to be realigned with the Turnpike ramp but no traffic signal is proposed. At the State Route 31/711 intersection, the project proposes to realign Champion School Driveway and install a traffic signal.

State Route 31 (Mackin Photo, 2007)

State Route 711

State Route 711 is a minor arterial in Donegal Borough and Donegal Township. This roadway connects neighboring Saltlick Township, Fayette County and is the primary route between State Route 31 and ski resorts to the south and Ligonier Borough to the north. As the main route for large amounts of tourist traffic, significant vehicle queues can occur at key intersections during peak usage times, fall foliage times, and the winter ski season.

In Donegal Borough and Donegal Township, Route 711 can be described as three segments.

™ The first segment of State Route 711 and State Route 381 north to intersection with State Route 31 has an average daily traffic count of 3,929 and six percent is truck traffic. ™ The next segment begins at State Route 31 thorough Donegal Borough to the intersection of State Route 2002 and State Route

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711. This segment has an average daily traffic count of 3,912 and has six percent truck traffic. ™ The last segment begins at the intersection of State Route 2002 and State Route 711 and continues north to the Cook Township line. This segment has eight percent truck traffic and an average daily traffic count of 4,246.

State Route 711 North (Mackin Photo, 2008)

Rural Major Collectors

Rural major collectors are highways and streets that provide connections within towns by distributing trips to small areas or neighborhoods. They provide for a greater amount of mobility and access, and are intended to serve motorists between local streets and arterial roads. Collectors usually convey between 1,500 and 10,000 average daily traffic and their design consists of two (2) 12-foot lanes with 8 to 10-foot shoulders and design speeds of approximately 35 miles per hour or greater.

State Route 2029

State Route 2029 (Hellein School Road) is the only major collector in the Donegal Area. It connects State Route 31 to State Route 1050 in neighboring Saltlick Township, Fayette County. The roadway has an average daily traffic count of 1,144 vehicles with nine percent consisting of truck traffic.

Final Draft: 7/28/2008 3.3-7 Donegal Borough & Donegal Township

Rural Minor Collectors

Rural minor collector roads enable moderate quantities of traffic to move between arterial and local roads. These roadways provide for an equal amount mobility and access by allowing direct connections to adjoining property. Rural minor collector roads are usually designed with two (2) 12-foot lanes, 4 to 10 foot shoulders, and design speeds of approximately 30 miles per hour.

Rural minor collectors in the Donegal Area include:

State Route 381

State Route 381 begins in Fayette County where it shares an alignment with State Route 711. The roadway leaves the shared alignment at State Route 31 near the Jones Mills community. As State Route 381 continues north, it averages 450 daily vehicles and has the highest level of truck traffic at 19 percent. The roadway eventually ends at its intersection with US Route 30 in Ligonier Township.

State Route 381 North (Mackin Photo, 2008)

State Route 130

State Route 130 traverse Westmoreland County in a west to east fashion entering the county near Trafford and terminating at the intersection

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with State Route 381 near the Donegal/Cook Township boundary. Due to the length of the corridor, it can be split into three segments.

™ Segment one begins at the southern most point Turnpike to the four way intersection with State Route 2031 at the Village of Stahlstown. This segment has an average daily traffic of 519 with nine percent truck traffic. ™ The second segment begins at State Route 2031 to the four way intersection of State Route 2004. This segment has an average daily traffic of 246 with nine percent truck traffic. ™ The third segment begins at State Route 2004 and ends at the Mount Pleasant Township Line. This segment has 742 average daily trips reported on it and has nine percent truck traffic.

Local Roads

Local Roads are designed to provide direct access to access to adjacent properties. Local roads are intended to only provide for transportation within a particular neighborhood, or to one of the other described road types. Local roads are usually designed to be 20 to 22 feet wide with 2 to 8-foot shoulders and design speeds of approximately 25 miles per hour.

State Route 2031

State Route 2031 (Jones Mills Stahlstown Road) is the only state route classified as a local road in the Donegal Area. The roadway begins at the junction of State Route 31 with State Route 711/381, and continues north where it enters Cook Township at Village of Stahlstown. State Route 2031 is the least traveled state route in Donegal with an annual average daily traffic count of 116 of which nine percent of that is truck traffic.

Gravel Roads

According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are over 1.6 million miles of unpaved roads (53% of all roads) in the United States. Gravel roads are generally the lowest service provided to the traveling public and are often thought to be less desirable than paved roads. However, in rural areas such as Donegal Township, the volume of traffic is so low that paving and maintaining a paved road is not economically feasible. Donegal Township has a several gravel roadways.

Final Draft: 7/28/2008 3.3-9 Donegal Borough & Donegal Township

In Pennsylvania, townships are authorized to enact ordinances that allow ATV use on locally owned roadways. Donegal Township has a network of graveled township roads that permit use by all terrain vehicles (ATV). However, as more homes, both primary residences and vacation homes, have been constructed, some gravel roads have experienced increased traffic loads that have caused excessive wear and or safety issues thereby creating resident demand for the township to consider paving of the roadway. The Township has since prohibited ATV usage on these roads but the roads do still remain unpaved. Gravel roads and ATV usage is shown on Table 3.3A: Gravel Roads and ATV usage in Donegal Township and on Map 3.3A: Local Transportation Network.

Table 3.3A: Gravel Roads and ATV usage in Donegal Township Gravel Roads ATV’s usage permitted Aukerman Road Yes Camp Run Road Yes Cummings Road No Felger Road No Fire Tower Road Yes

Fort Hill Road No

Hunter Lane No

Lower Tuernacle Road No

Ober Road No

Painter Rock Road No

Ridge Road No

Sky View Road Yes

Stairs Road Yes

Tunnel Road Yes

Dirt and Gravel Roads Program

The Dirt and Gravel Roads Program was established by the State Legislature in 1996 to provide funding for the treatment of sediment problems generated by the Commonwealth’s 25,000+ miles of unpaved roads. In the Donegal Area the program is managed by the Westmoreland Conservation District.

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Pennsylvania’s Dirt and Gravel Road Pollution Prevention Program provides grant funding to eliminate stream pollution caused by dust and sediment from unpaved roads. The program and its annual $5M apportionment for “environmentally sound maintenance” were enacted into law in April 1997, as Section 9106– PA Vehicle Code. Each year, the State Conservation Commission allocates this “dedicated and earmarked funding,” based on identified needs, to County Conservation Districts. Townships and other road-owning entities, after successful completion of required 2-day “Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance” training apply to local Conservation Districts for these maintenance funds to address identified pollution problems using environmentally-sound road maintenance practices.

Donegal Township has completed several projects using the Dirt and Gravel Program as listed below:

™ Portion of Oak Road- $11,000- Completed in Fall of 2006 ™ Lower Tabernacle Road- $7,000- Completed in Fall of 2006 ™ Fire Tower Road- $10,000- Completed in Fall of 2005 ™ Portion of Oak Road- $12,000- To be completed in 2008

The township has also received two Growing Greener Grants to implement Dirt and Gravel Program practices, they are as follows:

™ Stairs Road- $40,000- To be completed in 2008 ™ Ridge Road- $2,000- To be completed in 2008

These projects will use control measures, such as piping, ditch work, and building the road up to remove water off the road.

PENNSYLVANIA SCENIC BYWAY

The National Scenic Byways Program was created through the Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The goal of this program is to recognize and promote outstanding corridors throughout the United States, promote tourism, and protect the resources that make these hidden treasures outstanding. In the early 1990’s Pennsylvania received money to conduct a State Scenic Byways Study, which resulted in legislative action for the designation of four Scenic Byways. In 2001, the Pennsylvania began a state byways program that is managed through PennDOT. The state program designates Pennsylvania Byways at the request of the local communities seeking to highlight the six qualities- cultural, historical, recreational, archaeological, scenic and natural qualities. The benefits of this program can be many,

Final Draft: 7/28/2008 3.3-11 Donegal Borough & Donegal Township

but perhaps one of the most significant is the availability of federal funding to implement projects on designated routes and to enhance, preserve, and sustain the qualities of the byway. There are eight categories that the funds can be used for: state programs, corridor management plans, safety improvements, byway facilities, access to recreation, resource protection and acquisition, interpretive information and marketing. Additional information is located at http://www.bywaysonline.org/grants/. One caveat of the Byways program is the restriction of outdoor advertising. Title 23 of the U.S. Code, Section 131, specifies that if a State has a State scenic byway program, the State may not allow the erection of new signs that do not conform with specifications noted in the Code along any scenic byway that was on the Federal Aid Primary (FAP) system in 1991 or is on the National Highway System (NHS) today.

The Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway was legislatively designated a scenic byway in 1996 with the goal to preserve the Laurel Highland viewshed. The Laurel Highlands Byway is 68-miles in length from Farmington to Ligonier on Routes 381 and 711. Outdoor advertising restrictions are in place along this corridor.

A concern of residents, local elected officials, and steering committee members is the lack of enforcement of the restriction of outdoor advertising along the byway in the Donegal Area and the lack of a management entity to apply for funds to preserve and enhance the qualities of the byway.

Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway (Mackin Photo, 2008)

BRIDGES

Bridges are of two types: grade separation for highways and railroads, and waterway crossings. Bridges are critical to full use of a transportation network. Bridges must

3.3-12 Joint Comprehensive Plan comply with the following general criteria to satisfy their functional part of the transportation system and the class of highway being bridged.

™ Support both dead and live loads ™ Adequate waterway opening ™ Vertical grade clearance ™ Pavement and shoulder aligned with roadway ™ Parapet impact strength ™ Deck drain ™ Load sufficiency rating.

Bridges failing to satisfy these criteria become functionally inadequate and limit the highways ability to serve the public. The most serious inadequacy is loss of structural strength that limits a bridge’s ability to carry design loads. When a bridge becomes structurally inadequate, the bridge must be posted for a lower safe load, or closed, if a safe load is less than three tons. A typical ambulance is seven tons, school busses 12 to 15 tons, fire engine 15+ tons, and delivery trucks 5+ tons. The only vehicles permitted on a three-ton posted structure are automobiles and small pick-up trucks. A three-ton posting is a hardship on the quality of life for residents and businesses using the posted structure. Closed structures cause a greater hardship on residents by denying access or forcing lengthy detours. Posted and closed bridges cause safety, inconvenience, and restricted mobility problems for residents, motorists, and public service (fire, police, utility, and parcel delivery). There are 20 PennDOT owned bridges in Donegal Township, one which is posted. There are five township owned bridges in Donegal Township, three are posted. Bridges are listed in Table 3.3B: Bridges in the Project Area.

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Table 3.3B: Bridges in the Project Area Municipality Location Ownership Year Built Posted SR 31 over branch of Indian Donegal Township PennDOT 1941 No Creek Donegal Township SR 31 over Indian Creek PennDOT 1941 No Donegal Township SR 31 over Pike Run PennDOT 1941 No Donegal Township SR 31 over a branch of Pike Run PennDOT 1941 No Cook and Donegal SR 130 over Four Mile Run PennDOT 1952 No Townships SR 381 over branch of Indian Donegal Township PennDOT 1942 No Creek Donegal Township SR 381 over Indian Creek PennDOT 1962 No SR 381 over branch of Indian Donegal Township PennDOT 1934 No Creek Yes Donegal Township SR 381 over Camp Run PennDOT 1934 (36 tons) Donegal Township SR 381 Indian Creek PennDOT 1916 No Donegal Township SR 711 over Fourmile Run PennDOT 1987 No SR 2002 over PA Turnpike, MP Donegal Township PennDOT 2001 No 90.14 SR 2031 over PA Turnpike, MP Donegal Township PennDOT 2001 No 92.31 Saltlick and Donegal SR 1058 over Champion Creek PennDOT 1948 No Townships Saltlick and Donegal SR 1058 over branch of PennDOT 1948 No Townships Champion Creek Saltlick and Donegal SR 1058 over Indian Creek PennDOT 1938 No Townships Saltlick and Donegal SR 1058 over Indian Creek PennDOT 1938 No Townships Yes (10 Donegal Township TR 332 over Roaring Run Township 1985 tons) TR 880 over Four Mile Run near Yes (10 Donegal Township Township 1919 SR 130 tons) TR 880 over Four Mile Run near Yes (10 Donegal Township Township 1920 SR 711 tons) TR 880 over Four Mile Run near 1950, Donegal Township the intersection of T880 and Township reconstructed in No T413 1999 Donegal Township TR 309 near SR 381 Township 2003 No

ROADWAYS OF CONCERN

During the planning process the Steering Committee and residents were asked to identify areas of concern in the following categories:

™ Safety concerns ™ Maintenance issues ™ Speeding concerns ™ Bridge/Culvert improvements needed

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™ Intersection improvement needed

Table 3.3C: Roadways of Concern lists identified concerns on the existing road network, which are shown on Map 3.3B: Transportation Issues.

Table 3.3C: Roadways of Concern ID Road Concern 1 State Route 31 Safety and Speeding 2 State Route 31 and State Route 381/711 Intersection 3 Pennsylvania Turnpike Interchange Safety 4 Donegal Lake Road Bridge/Culvert 5 Donegal Lake Road Bridge/Culvert 6 Main Street (State Route 711) Safety 7 State Route 31 and State Route 711 North Intersection 8 Hellein School Road Maintenance 9 Synder Road Maintenance Italics indicate municipal roads

TRANSIT

Public Transportation is important in that it allows for increased mobility and access to goods and services for those populations with both physical and financial impairments. Furthermore, transit access to larger regional job markets can be less costly to residents than driving as well as lessen congestion by removing passenger vehicles from roadways. Two common forms of transit are integrated bus systems, which transports persons to multiple destinations in a region; and park-n-rides where persons park their private vehicles and continue to a common destination either via private car pool or bus.

Westmoreland County Transit Authority

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority has been responsible for providing public bus service in Westmoreland County since 1978. Fixed-route transit services are provided by private transportation companies under contract with Westmoreland Transit. Westmoreland Transit purchases and owns the buses and sets the routes and fares, but contracts with private bus companies to employ the drivers, maintain the fleet and operate the service. Currently, service is contracted to Edenfield Stages, Inc. and Lodestar Bus Lines, Inc. Westmoreland Transit operates a total of 17 weekday routes and 6 Saturday routes (www.westmorelandcountytransit.com).

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Although, Westmoreland County Transit provides bus service to and from many locations in the county there is no mass transit service to either Donegal Township or Donegal Borough. The closest locations with transit access are in various locations throughout neighboring Mt. Pleasant Township. Services beyond fixed route bus routes offered by Westmoreland County Transit include:

Senior Free Transit Program

This program is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transit utilizing Pennsylvania Lottery funds and provides free bus transit on any Westmoreland County Transit bus for senior citizens age 65 and over.

Senior Free Transit Program

The Reduced Fare Transit Program offers persons with disabilities to ride a Westmoreland County transit bus for half the regular fee. The program is also open to seniors under the age of 65 who also posses a Medicare card.

Medical Assistance Transportation Program

This program is funded by the Department of Public Welfare and provides free transportation to medical appointments, via reimbursement for private vehicle mileage, public bus, or taxi service, for persons possessing a valid Welfare Medical card.

Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Complementary Paratransit Program

The ADA Complementary Para Transit Program provides taxis to deliver route services mirroring those of the public bus service to Westmoreland County residents who have a disability that prohibits them from using the bus.

Park –n-Rides

There are no Park-N-Ride facilities in either Donegal Borough or Donegal Township. The closest can be found at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport near Latrobe and in North Huntington Township. The Steering Committee noted the need for a Park-N-Ride within the Township. A possible location for a Park-N- Ride is located near the Turnpike Interchange.

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Possible Park-N-Ride at the PA Turnpike Interchange (Mackin Photo, 2008)

PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

Sidewalks

There are currently no sidewalks along roadways in Donegal Township. Sidewalks have not been viewed as a necessity due to the traditional rural character overall low population density in the township. Sidewalks within Donegal Borough are in various locations and most do not connect. The main sidewalk is located along Main Street (SR 711) between the pharmacy and the post office.

As the Donegal Area continues to grow in population, which in turn will bring increased traffic and development; it will become more difficult to ensure pedestrian safety, especially along heavily traveled corridors. This is an even greater problem along commercial corridors with high numbers of curb cuts. RAIL AND FREIGHT MOVEMENT

There are no active passenger or freight rail lines within the Donegal Project Area; the nearest passenger rail service is available from AMTRAK in Greensburg. In southwestern Pennsylvania, freight rail service is often utilized for resource extraction industries such as coal mining and timber harvesting. Resource extraction is not a major industry in Donegal, therefore the lack of rail service is not seen as a major hindrance to economic development activities.

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In southwestern Pennsylvania, 70 percent of all freight is moved via tractor-trailer trucks. The 2004 Westmoreland County Comprehensive Plan states that consumer goods constitute most of the cargo for long haul trucking, but the region sees little local truck traffic as consumer goods production is a small part of the local export base. This statement is inconsistent with Donegal Area statistics. Standard truck percentages for state routes are between three and four percent but in the Donegal Area the percentages exceed this standard. State Route 381 North quadruples the standard at 19 percent.

AIRPORTS

The closest commercial airport to Donegal is the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in nearby Unity Township. A 15-mile drive from the center of Donegal Borough, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport is served by daily flight by Northwest Airlines to its hub in Detroit, Michigan. The airport also offers charter flights to popular vacation destinations.

The closest airport offering service by multiple carriers, airfreight service and international flights is Pittsburgh International Airport, which is located approximately 67 miles northwest of Donegal Borough. Pittsburgh International is easily assessable via freeway connections from the Pennsylvania Turnpike I-76.

TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES

Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for a ten-county region including the City of Pittsburgh and the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland. The responsibilities of a metropolitan planning organization include the planning and prioritizing of all state and federal transportation funds allocated to the region and for conducting the transportation planning process for the region in cooperation of PennDOT, Westmoreland County, and other SPC partners. It should also be recognized that SPC serves also as the Local Development District (LDD) and Economic Development District for Southwestern Pennsylvania (as designated by the U.S. Appalachian Regional Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce), to establish regional economic development priorities.

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SPC, through coordination with its planning partners, establishes priority needs on the federal and state highway systems and directs funding through the SPC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a four-year, fiscally constrained listing of priority multimodal projects. The TIP is updated biannually in conjunction with the state’s Twelve Year Transportation Program. A project must appear on the TIP before it can receive financial support. The TIP represents the schedule and cost for the project at the time of TIP development and is the first step in seeking authorized funding.

The 2007-2010 TIP identifies the priority highway and transit improvements programmed for advancement from October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2010. The 2007-2010 TIP specifies the priorities for the region and includes reasonable estimates of both available funds and anticipated project expenditures.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, in conjunction with their member Agencies or Counties, has established Public Participation Panels (PPP) for each county to update the TIP. The PPP’s primary purpose is to take public testimony on transportation project and convey them in a logical manner to the State Transportation Commission. There is one project in the Donegal Area that is included on Westmoreland County’s TIP for the funding cycle 2007-2010, shown on Table 3.3D: Transportation Improvement Program, Westmoreland County 2007-2010. It is the responsibility of elected officials in Donegal Township and Donegal Borough to coordinate with the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development to submit transportation improvement projects for consideration.

Table 3.3D: Transportation Improvement Program, Westmoreland County 2007-2010 Description Name/Location Municipality Cost/Funding Cycle

Intersection Improvements SR 31 at Exit 9 Donegal Donegal Township 625,000/ 2007 Source: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, 2008

The intersection improvements on State Route 31 and the Turnpike Interchange are to be let for construction in 2010; currently the project is still in the design phase. The project involves widening State Route 31 to provide a center turn from the area just west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Ramp to just east of the intersection with State Route 711. The existing PennDOT maintenance driveway is proposed to be realigned with the Turnpike ramp but no traffic signal is proposed. At the State Route 31/711 intersection, the project proposes to realign Champion School Driveway and install a traffic signal.

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Other programs that are managed through SPC include the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program (CMAQ) and Transportation Enhancements (TE). The purpose of the CMAQ program is to provide funds for transportation projects or programs that will achieve or maintain the national ambient air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Projects that are funded include pedestrian improvements, transit services, and park and ride locations. Transportation Enhancements are funds from the federal government to expand travel choice, strengthen the local economy, improve the quality of life, and protect the environment. Transportation Enhancements (TE) activities are community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historic, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure. TE projects must be one of 12 eligible activities and must relate to surface transportation. For example, projects can include creation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, streetscape improvements, refurbishment of historic transportation facilities, and other investments that enhance communities and access. The federal government provides funding for TE projects through our nation’s surface transportation legislation. SPC administers this program for the Donegal Area and applications are available every two years.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)

Westmoreland County is included under the PennDOT Engineering District 12, which also oversees state related transportation projects in Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties. District 12 is responsible for over 3,715 miles of highway, more than 103 miles of interstate, and 2,397 state bridges. PennDOT cooperates within the framework of SPC to establish priorities for transportation projects.

PennDOT has established the Agility Program to help governments, school districts, fire companies, and public utilities with special projects related to transportation needs. Activities can include boom mowing, street sweeping, bridge cleaning, providing meeting facilities, graphics, and storage. PennDOT also works to remove litter and beautify roadways. Keep PA Beautiful is a PennDOT program that organizes volunteers to pick up trash and litter. PennDOT sponsors an annual clean up day, which is held the last Saturday of April.

Funding for road maintenance and construction at the local municipal level is generated through the Liquid Fuels Tax. The Liquid Fuels Tax Act 655, dated 1956 and as amended provides all municipalities, which are in compliance with the Department’s guidelines, with annual allocations on April 1 of each year from the State’s Motor License Fund. The Act provides that these funds be used

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for road and bridge construction, reconstruction and maintenance projects. The funds are based on rations of mileage and population of the municipality to the state totals. That is, 50 percent is based on a municipality’s local road mileage to the total local road mileage in the state, and 50 percent on the proportion of a municipality’s population to the total population for the state. A municipality’s local road mileage is verified by periodic road surveys conducted by the Municipal Services Unit. Population is based on official United States Census Reports conducted every ten years and reported to the Director of the Bureau of Municipal Services by December 31st. The Municipal Services Unit assists the municipality in the appropriate use of the funds, (i.e., eligibility to receive funds, deposit of funds, invest funds, loan and bond issues, roadway and bridge maintenance/repair, receipts and expenditures, and repaying the bank loans). The Liquid Fuels 2007 allocation for the project area is as follows:

Donegal Borough $3,520.81 Donegal Township $144,402.44

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