Road improvements, walkability among public's top transportation priorities

Road improvements, bridge upkeep and walkability are Pennsylvania residents’ three top priorities according to public surveys taken as the state was preparing its biennial update to the 12-year transportation plan (TYP).

The 2025 TYP allocates $88 billion over the next 12 years to air, ground and rail projects. Public input is crucial to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) development of the TYP.

“Transportation planning is a lengthy and collaborative process. By the time a new project starts in your neighborhood, it’s already several years old,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a press release. “PennDOT is always seeking ways to improve transportation infrastructure, and we look forward to putting the next 12 years of improvements into motion for travelers around the state.”

Starting in March 2023, over 10,500 Pennsylvanians responded to PennDOT’s 2025 TYP Open Comment Period.

The most popular forms of travel are personal vehicles, walking, bicycles and public transit, while motorcycles, passenger rail and rideshare round out the least used forms of transportation, according to the Public Comment Period Summary.

Road repairs, restorations and replacement of the state’s 120,000 miles of roads was the top priority followed by the maintenance of the state’s 31,000-plus bridges, respondents said. Over 50% had problems with either road or bridge maintenance in the state.

The second most common concern was inadequate pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, with around 25% of respondents finding an issue. Other common priorities were safety initiatives, environmental sustainability and electric vehicle infrastructure.

PennDOT asked residents to plot and describe their transportation problems throughout the state. An interactive map was created because of the survey. Pennsylvanians charted over 4,200 transportation, safety and accessibility concerns throughout the state. Residents listed issues ranging from deteriorating bridges and unsafe intersections to unmaintained bicycle paths and disconnected pedestrian walkways.

PennDOT has already addressed 127 of these concerns over the past two years, officials said.

With PennDOT’s and the State Transportation Committee’s (STC) update to the TYP set to take effect on Oct. 1, $88 billion will be made available to projects addressing some of the public’s top priorities over the next 12 years. These allocations include: