Supervisors concerned about losing traffic money
South Union Township supervisors at Wednesday’s meeting discussed traffic improvement projects that may be put on hold if the projects don’t receive funding from the state. Supervisor Robert Schiffbauer criticized Gov. Ed Rendell’s transportation plan that places emphasis on bridge restoration projects, mainly those that deal with bridge repair or replacement, and takes money from highway improvement projects.
Schiffbauer also criticized state legislators for not taking a stand against Rendell’s plan and said the legislators need to get together and create a plan that will pay for needed bridge restoration without taking money from other urgent transportation projects.
“They’re sitting there like ostriches with their heads in the sand,” he said.
Schiffbauer said Rendell’s plan is not the answer and referred to it as a “a reactionary plan that robs Peter to pay Paul.”
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), of which Schiffbauer is a voting member, held a public meeting Tuesday in Uniontown to discuss a five-year transportation plan for the region.
The SPC is the metropolitan planning organization for the Pittsburgh region, encompassing 10 counties including Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland.
In keeping with Rendell’s emphasis on bridge restoration, the majority of the projects listed on the SPC’s 2009-2012 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) list deal with bridge repair or replacement.
Several highway improvement projects, including those scheduled to occur locally, were postponed.
Schiffbauer said he will not vote for the proposed transportation plan and urged other SPC members to vote against it as well, noting that none of the Fayette County Commissioners attended Tuesday’s meeting.
Schiffbauer said he hopes the commissioners will take more of an interest since the proposed plan takes about $32 million away from transportation projects scheduled to occur in Fayette County.
According to Schiffbauer, a $5 million project that would improve New Salem Road from Matthew Drive to Route 40 was on the TIP list and was scheduled for construction next year.
However, Schiffbauer said the proposed transportation plan postpones the project and may prevent it from happening.
“If we loose this project now, I seriously doubt it will happen four years from now. By then the cost of the project may double,” he said.
Schiffbauer said improving New Salem Road is vital to economic development, noting that recent development in the township is because new roads were built and existing roads were improved.
As an example, he said Fayette Crossing, a new business development along Route 40, would not have happened if Matthew Drive wasn’t constructed.
“If the governor’s plan had been in place two years ago, I can guarantee that Matthew Drive would not have been completed and Fayette Crossing would not have developed that way it has,” he said.
In unrelated business, supervisors adopted several resolutions pertaining to the Matthew Drive Upgrade Project.
The project involves widening the road to provide two lanes of through traffic each way on 1,760 feet of Matthew Drive from its intersection with Route 21 to just north of the Kmart intersection and 900 feet of widening on the Route 119 ramps.
The project also involves the installation of traffic lights and turning lanes.
Estimated to cost between $2.5 million and $3 million, the project is being funded through the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration.
Supervisors said the project is progressing as planned and unanimously agreed to adopt the resolutions pertaining to the project, which gave Supervisor Thomas Frankhouser authorization to sign contracts and other related documents.
As for other matters, supervisors awarded a contract to AC Moyer Inc. of Lemont Furnace for 4,301 tons of superpave-design asphalt and 2,322 square yards of road milling at 11/2 inches deep.
AC Moyer was the lowest of five bids, coming in at $290,981.
Supervisors unanimously agreed to award the contract to AC Moyer pending assurance that the price includes the 11/2-inch milling and that the company will install form wedge curbs as the bid specifies.
In other business, Supervisor Rick Vernon reminded residents that burning is only allowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Vernon said code enforcement officers patrol the township and have the authority to cite people who are caught burning during other times.
Vernon also warned residents regarding high grass and weeds, noting that citations can be issued to people who fail to maintain their property.
Before concluding Wednesday’s meeting, supervisors agreed to advertise for various size stone, stockpile patch, top and binder. Supervisors also approved a sewage-planning module for Faris Land Development.
The next supervisor’s meeting will be held at 4 p.m. July 2 in the township building.