2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan
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2045 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN & LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR LACKAWANNA AND LUZERNE COUNTIES F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 1 Funding for plan development was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration i Joint County Comprehensive Plan and Long Range Transportation Plan Lackawanna & Luzerne Counties Working Draft – LRTP Prepared by: Lackawanna County Department of Planning & Economic Development 123 Wyoming Avenue, 5th floor Scranton, PA 18503 and Luzerne County Department of Planning & Zoning 20 N. Pennsylvania Avenue #208 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701 December 9, 2020 The Lackawanna/Luzerne Region Transportation System iii LETTER FROM THE MPO CHAIRMAN February 2021 Planning for transportation is a critical function of government. Our One of the biggest challenges the MPO faces relates to the shortfall in available transportation system supports the people and industries of Lackawanna and transportation funding. Even before the advent of the coronavirus pandemic Luzerne Counties with approximately 4,250 linear miles of roadway, 985 state- locally in March 2020, which curtailed the demand for travel (and needed owned bridges greater than eight feet in length, and nearly 2.3 million trips revenue into the Motor License Fund), the MPO was facing a funding crisis. As annually on its public transportation systems. The Lackawanna/Luzerne of this plan’s adoption, PennDOT is grappling with an estimated loss of $840 Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible million over a 16-month period from the pandemic’s start, through June 2021. for planning for all of these assets and services, and how they support other The loss of revenue will affect the delivery of highway construction and modes such as bicycle, pedestrian, rail freight, and aviation. maintenance projects, as well as payments to municipalities, and the Commonwealth’s ability to fund competitive grant programs such as Green The long-range transportation plan (LRTP) guides the MPO’s overall Light-Go. Transit systems are also being negatively affected. transportation planning process. Through it, the LRTP guides area decision- makers with an examination of the region’s existing transportation system, the The shortfalls are sobering. driving forces affecting its long-term performance, and the strategic directions The uncertainty being cast by the pandemic and its impacts may likely be felt and investments needed. for years to come. Long-range planning is more important than ever in the face The MPO continues to make advances in how it plans for our transportation of these historic challenges. system. Recent years have witnessed us taking a more performance-based The MPO looks forward to implementing its latest long-range transportation approach to planning, and measuring the success of our programs. plan, which will begin with the implementation of a four-year program valued The MPO’s programming philosophy has also been changing with the advent of at nearly $280 million. And we will continue to plan for our region’s new asset management tools and approaches to programming. While the MPO transportation infrastructure to ensure it remains a valuable asset in support of has in the past addressed project needs based on a “worst first” approach, we our communities, economic competitiveness, and quality of life. are now moving toward a new paradigm known as “lowest life cycle cost,” or Sincerely, providing preventive maintenance at appropriate intervals in order to extend the life of the asset. David Pedri, Luzerne County Manager TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – LACKAWANNA/LUZERNE MPO MEMBERS ................................................................................................................................ iv REGIONAL POSITION ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 SOCIOECONOMICS .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 ROADWAY NETWORK .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 ROADWAY CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 ROADWAY SAFETY ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 BRIDGES - STATE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17 BRIDGES – LOCAL ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 PERFORMANCE MEASURES ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 RAIL FREIGHT ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 GOODS MOVEMENT .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36 AVIATION ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38 SYSTEM MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 41 STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH & PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS ............................................................................................................................................... 47 REVENUE FORECAST .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 APPENDICES Appendix A: Project Listing Appendix B: “Eligible but Unfunded” Projects Appendix C: Interstate TIP Appendix D: Transit TIP Appendix E: Environmental Justice “Benefits and Burdens” Analysis Appendix F: Air Quality Conformity Analysis Appendix G: Performance Reports, 2019 Appendix H: Summary of Public Comments on Draft LRTP Appendix I: Locally-owned Roadway on the Federal-aid System Appendix J: Complete Streets Policy iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – MPO MEMBERS LLTS MPO Transportation Advisory LLTS MPO Technical Committee LLTS MPO Coordinating Committee Committee Gerard Babinski Kathy Bednarek Denise Corcoran Carl Beardsley George Brown Christine Dettore Kathy Bednarek Paige Cognetti V. Dan Gavin Jeff Box Jeff Cusat Mary Malone Chris Chapman Robert Fiume Bernard McGurl Butch Frati Lee Horton Linda Melvin Susan Hazleton Matthew Jones Stephanie Milewski Doug Hein Kristin Mulkerin Shane Novak Lee Horton David Pedri Ted Patton Barbara Idhaw Richard Roman Janet Sweeney Matthew Jones Brenda Sacco John Tomchko Larry Malski, Esq. Theodore Wampole Stephen Mykulyn Non-Voting Members Nina Waskevich Steve Pitoniak Tim Lidiak Aaron Whitney John Pocius Larry