INTRODUCTION The Transportation Element of the Centre Planning Agency (CRPA), and the County Comprehensive Plan is an Susquehanna Economic Development assessment of the transportation facilities in Association Council of Governments the County. These facilities include not just (SEDA-COG). These organizations work the road network, but all forms of alongside the Pennsylvania Department of transportation including transit, rail, airports Transportation (PENNDOT) to identify and and bike and pedestrian facilities. It is prioritize transportation improvement important to consider the transportation projects in Centre County. network as an integrated multi-modal system. The existing conditions of the TRANSPORTATION GOAL AND transportation network are described in this OBJECTIVES initial section of the Transportation Element The goal of the Transportation Element is: (Part 1). The Transportation Element will be “To provide a multi-modal transportation completed in the future after completion of system, which includes air, bicycle, the Travel Demand Model Analysis and highway, pedestrian, public transportation, Long Range Transportation Plan for Centre and rail facilities to maximize the efficient, County. safe, economical and convenient movement of people and goods while minimizing the Significant growth of residential, office and adverse impact the system will have on industrial development has occurred in the natural and cultural resources, as well as County – especially in the Centre Region people.” area where Penn State University has served as a magnet for development. This ROAD NETWORK growth is forecasted to continue. As a Pennsylvania is in a strategic position with result, the need to identify transportation important interstate roadways traversing the facilities that will accommodate this growth state and serving national and international is a key part of the comprehensive planning trade routes. Centrally located within process. Pennsylvania, Centre County is about 90 miles northwest of Harrisburg. Transpor- The Centre Region Metropolitan Planning tation facilities serving the County are Organization (CRMPO) is the agency shown on Figure 1. This includes Interstate responsible for coordinating transportation 80 and future Interstate 99; the Mt. Nittany planning efforts in the geographic area Expressway; principal arterial highways covering Benner, College, Ferguson, such as US Route 322, US Route 220 and Halfmoon, Harris, Patton and Spring State Route 26; urban and rural major Townships, as well as Bellefonte and State collector roadways such as State Route College Boroughs. 504, Allen Street in State College Borough and other roads that serve as intra-county The CRMPO coordinates transportation travel corridors; rural minor collectors which issues with the following agencies: Centre provide service to the smaller communities; County Planning Commission (CCPC), and local roads that provide access to Centre Regional Planning Commission adjacent land uses and serve shorter trips. (CRPC), the Centre Area Transportation This network serves both the major regional Authority (CATA), the Centre County traffic movements and local trips. Railroad Planning Office (CCPO), Centre Regional lines and airports are also shown of Figure 1. Executive Summary Page E- 1 Transportation Plan Element Part I, Centre County Comprehensive Plan May 2003 A major transportation initiative currently the PENNDOT Crash Records System. In underway is the completion of Interstate 99 Pennsylvania, reportable crashes include south to Blair County, which will provide those involving property damage, injuries, or improved access between Interstate 80 and fatalities. The data indicates that there were the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Other major 2,785 crashes in 101 crash clusters transportation studies and projects include recorded between 1996 and 2000. This data Corridor O (US Route 322), the Western provides a broad picture of safety problem Inner Loop Connector in Ferguson areas. Safety problem areas have been Township from State Route 26 (West identified in other locations, including but College Avenue) to North Atherton Street not limited to: US Route 220 north of and the South Central Centre County Marthas Furnace and State Routes 322, Transportation Study (SCCCTS). 144 and 45 east of State College. Traffic Volumes As part of the on-going transportation Centre County traffic has continued to grow, planning efforts, safety problems not which is reflected in increasing congestion currently addressed through the especially focused in the State College Transportation Improvement Program area. Traffic volumes on key roadways should be further evaluated. have increased significantly since 1965. Fueled by Penn State University and by the BRIDGES increasing number of residential, Bridges are important elements of the commercial, business and industrial transportation network in Centre County. enterprises, this growth has contributed to Within Centre County there are 59 local large increases in traffic on the major roads bridges and 365 State owned bridges. serving commuter traffic from Centre Through a regular system of bridge County and the surrounding counties. inspection, County bridges are scheduled for routine maintenance, rehabilitation or Centre County’s centralized location in replacement. Pennsylvania serves truck freight moving from the Atlantic coast to destinations in the PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Midwest and beyond. Nearly 50 percent of Reflecting the diverse nature of Centre the commercial truck traffic in Pennsylvania County, there is more than one transit is moving through the state to destinations service and public transportation operator. outside of Pennsylvania1. Truck traffic has significantly increased on Interstate 80, Public Transit which is a major national and international The Centre County Office of Transportation freight route from New Jersey to California. (CCOT) operates a demand responsive Figure 2 shows annual average daily traffic ‘shared ride’ service throughout Centre volumes on state maintained roads in County. While the service is available to the Centre County. general public, it is primarily oriented to senior citizens and disabled passengers. The CCOT also provides specially arranged Safety Considerations transportation by contract rates. Paratransit Crash data for Centre County from the service is available to any location within the years 1996 through 2000 was obtained from boundaries of Centre County and selected locations outside of Centre County. 1 USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 1997. Executive Summary Page E- 2 Transportation Plan Element Part I, Centre County Comprehensive Plan May 2003 The Centre Area Transportation Authority transportation plan will be developed. (CATA) operates three types of public Proposals regarding the extent of the transit transportation services throughout the system and its coverage, the types of Centre Region and surrounding areas of services offered, and the frequency of Centre County. These include fixed-route service, will be included in the Plan. bus service, demand responsive service and special services. TRAVEL PATTERNS As indicated by the 2000 US Census, CATA also operates shuttle services during approximately 78 percent of Centre County special events that include Penn State workers drive alone or carpool, compared to University home football games, and other 87 percent statewide. The second most events. CATA also operates a Ride Share common method of commuting to work program in Centre County that is a free ride within Centre County is by foot. matching service. Approximately 12 percent of the County workers walked to work in 2000, as Intercity Bus Service compared to 4 percent statewide. Most of Greyhound Lines and Fullington Trailways the non-motorized travel is related to Penn provide intercity bus service connecting State University and downtown State Centre County with Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, College. The percentage of workers in Wilkes-Barre and DuBois, with primary Centre County who commute via bus (3.6%) community stops en route. While the is comparable to the statewide average. current route services are limited, connections can be made to other In 2000, approximately 92 percent of Centre destinations. County residents work inside the County; about 40 percent of Centre County Park and Ride Facilities residents commute under 15 minutes to In State College, a park and ride program work. The mean travel time to work for was implemented to provide inexpensive Centre County residents in 2000 was 19.6 perimeter parking for downtown State minutes, significantly less time than the College business employees. The program statewide average of 25.2 minutes. is run through a partnership between State College, CATA and Penn State. In addition, AIRPORTS a park and ride facility is planned in Potter Centre County, Pennsylvania has six public Township (Old Fort), and there is an use aviation facilities: University Park informal park and ride facility at the Cold Airport, Mid-State Airport, Bellefonte Airport, Spring Dam site in Philipsburg. Centre Airpark, Penns Cave Airport and Ridge Soaring Gliderport. Three commercial Public Transportation Plan carriers serve the University Park Airport and the other five airports are general A comprehensive study of the Public aviation facilities. Transportation system is now underway as part of the Centre County Long Range University Park Airport is the seventh Transportation Plan. This includes an busiest commercial airport in Pennsylvania