Most motorists, pedestrians and cyclists have strong opinions – and perhaps some nightmarish anecdotes — when it comes to highway safety issues. But relatively few of them take advantage of opportunities to speak out. A regional organization charged with collecting public input and presenting recommendations to the people who can make a difference is going the extra mile this year to change that.

North Central Rural Transportation Planning Organization is holding a series of public meetings across its six member counties. Next session will be held at 10 am on Friday, March 28, at the F.W. Gunzburger County Office Building front conference room. In-person and online attendance will be available. To access by Microsoft Teams, Click here to join  To join by phone, dial 1-412-634-6334 and enter conference ID 862 092 217#

Purpose is to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders through targeted projects funded by PennDOT and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. A $5 billion federal program, “Safe Streets for Roads and All,” includes similar planning activities across the nation. Agencies such as North Central are following the federal Safe System Approach for a structured decision-making framework. Once the Safety Action Plan is in place, local governments will be able to use it to support grant applications.

North Central kicked off the project in early 2024 with representatives from its six member counties, two PennDOT engineering district and other stakeholders. More information is available online by clicking here or by sending email to Amy Kessler at amy@northcentral.com.