The public had a chance to review the substance of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's Transportation Improvement Program this week.

Ed Blazina reports on the regional Transportation Improvement Program announced by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which proposes $4.9 billion in funding over the next four years.
According to Blazina, the proposal reflects a changing region around Pittsburgh—in terms of traditional construction projects like bridge rehabilitation, intersection construction, and freeway extensions, and also in terms of more innovative projects, like:
- "Pittsburgh’s 'smart spines' — seven major traffic corridors that will have adaptive lights installed at all intersections to improve the flow of traffic
- "[C]onstruction of the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit system to link Oakland and Downtown Pittsburgh with electric buses using dedicated lanes to provide rush-hour service every 4 minutes or less.
Blazina also breaks down the categories of spending included in the proposal:
- $2 billion on public transit
- $1.7 billion on roads and bridges
- $1.3 billion in intermodal projects
There's also $1.87 billion for the Port Authority of Allegheny County in the 2019-2022 plan, up from $130 million from the 2017-2020 version of the plan.
All of that money isn't just coming from state coffers—the proposal recommends spending from federal, state, and local sources. The proposal got a public hearing in Pittsburgh this week.
FULL STORY: Southwest Pa. Commission proposes $4.9 billion in transportation projects over next 4 years

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