County wants to take Route 30 as far as it can go

Westmoreland County officials are hoping a $200,000 state-funded traffic study makes the county's most congested traffic artery safer and easier to navigate.

State Sen. Bob Regola, R-Hempfield, announced Thursday that he secured the money for a comprehensive study of the 30-mile stretch of Route 30 extending from the county's western border in North Huntingdon Township to its eastern border on Laurel Ridge in Ligonier Township.

"We all recognize that Route 30 is a key to Westmoreland County's economic future, and the study funded by this grant will give us the basic essential information to address existing problems and plan for smart growth in the future," Regola said.

"Route 30 is more than just a highway. It is a vital artery that ties us together and provides us with a focal point for future growth," he said.

He said the region's leaders want to assist in job creation and enhance economic growth, but it should not be done "at the expense of quality of life."

The study will be overseen by Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes economic development without sacrificing quality of life.

The partnership's executive director, Alex Graziani, acknowledged yesterday that large portions of the highway already are plagued with traffic congestion because of unmanaged growth, but he believes it's not too late to fix that.

"The reality of the situation is there are a lot of portions of the highway where there's little opportunity to add a lane or widen because of existing development ... but in some cases you could see improvement simply by coordinating traffic signals," Graziani said.

"The problem we've had with it is that we've been reacting to individual situations instead of having a comprehensive traffic plan in place," he said.

Regola emphasized that the plan's success will depend on intergovernmental cooperation among PennDOT and the 14 municipalities that span the highway.

"We must set strategies for growth that frown upon haphazard development. As a professional surveyor and a former township supervisor, I recognize the need to work on an intergovernmental basis to develop an effective, long-range plan that encourages smart growth and also protects the rural aspects of our county as well," Regola said.

He said the study's primary objectives will be to achieve a regional consensus about desired land uses and transportation improvement measures in the corridor and to establish community and economic development priorities that will enhance growth.

The study also could enable PennDOT and local municipalities to unlock the doors to federal transportation dollars to help pay for improvements, Graziani said.

"Right now, it's hard to go after those federal highway funds because there's no planning blueprint ... no strategic improvement plan in place," he said.

"This is about improving aesthetics and convenience," he said.

The grant was unveiled to local and county municipal officials during a news conference at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity Township.

Graziani anticipates the study will begin in 2006 after the agency hires a consultant. He believes the project will begin with a "planning summit" in which local municipal officials, agencies and the public impacted by the highway can outline proposed outcomes and goals.

The grant is funded by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.