For July 27, Road Watch
With the cost of everything from food to utilities spiraling in the wake of high gasoline prices, now the honchos at the Philadelphia Parking Authority, a city agency, want to jump on the bandwagon.
Is there another Great Depression in the works? A recession? Of course not, it’s just our imagination getting the best of us, right? There just seems to be no end to the average Joe and Joan having to dig deeper and deeper into their pockets to survive today.
Last week hearings were held on hiking the bridge tolls at the DRPA’s four bridges over the Delaware River by a buck this September and by another buck to $5 in 2010.
On top of this, parking rates at the Philadelphia International Airport are scheduled to soar next Friday. Rates will jump for parking garage stays longer than two hours.
The three-hour rate will go from $13 to $15 and the three-hour rate in the short-term lot rises the same way.
In the economy lot, the daily flat rate will go from $9 to $11.
The changes are expected to raise $6 million in gross revenue, Parking Authority spokeswoman Linda Miller told KYW Newsradio.
The increases reflect the citywide parking tax increase enacted by the Mayor and City Council.
If that isn’t enough of a squeeze on your wallets, Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation, is recommending a hike in parking meter rates to help ease congestion from motorists searching for parking spaces instead of parking lots.
She points out that the meters now charging a dollar an hour are only one-eighth of the cost of the lots. I fail to find any logic in that analogy for the public.
Cutler contends that the best parking spaces are on the street, but the city only charges the least amount for them, creating congestion and a lack of turnover.
She hasn’t specified what the increased costs for using parking meters will be.
Just great, sock it to the visitor who can’t use public transit or is handicapped and needs to visit his or her doctor or hospital office – and often can’t find a reasonable parking lot nearby.
Sounds as popular an idea as the late Mayor Richardson Dilworth’s brainstorm to charge South Philadelphia residents for overnight parking, creating a great uproar among the residents.
BRIDGE BILL
The U.S. House has passed by a vote of 367-55 the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act, H.R. 3999 which strengthens inspection requirements and standards and authorizes $1 billion to pay for reconstruction costs in fiscal year 2009.
This will be added to resources allocated under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, according to U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, who voted for the above legislation. (Big Government really needs to be more brief in its wording of the latter equity act! Talk about a mouthful.)
The legislation will create a more effective highway bridge inspection system and invest in needed repairs on thousands of structurally deficient bridges, he said.
“We need to take responsibility for making certain that Americans feel as safe as possible on the roadways and that every possible precaution is taken to avoid an incident like the bridge collapse in Minnesota last year,” Sestak said.
“Pennsylvania alone has nearly 6,000 structurally deficient bridges, the most of any state, and receives $97 million through this bill,” he said.
One of the many inspection requirements in the bill mandates an immediate update of the National Bridge Inspection Standards by the Federal Highway Administration.
In addition, states must inspect all structurally deficient bridges every year and all other bridges every two years. More than half of bridges have existed before 1964 so it is important to have reliable information on the safety of these structures, he said.
GAS DOWN
Hard to believe, but gas prices have continued their descent in the five-county Philadelphia area and around the country.
According to the federal Energy Administration, drivers are seeing the largest one-week decline since Jan. 21.
The five-county Philadelphia region, including Delco, has had a gas average down a penny overnight Thursday to $4.06 a gallon. Friday’s average was 10 cents below the all-time high set on June 20. The area average hasn’t been at this level since June 5.
AAA believes that the further decline at the pump is possible if oil prices stay below $130 a barrel.
CHESTER COUNTY
Construction is set to begin Wednesday on a $3.8 million project to repair/resurface 21 miles of state roads in Chester County
Starting Wednesday night, crews will begin milling U.S. Route 202 between the Route 100 spur and the U.S. Route 30 interchange in West Goshen, West Whiteland and East Whiteland from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Route 202 will be restricted weeknights for about one month. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling on Route 202 during construction.
BRIDGE INSPECTIONS
Lane restrictions are scheduled on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and Roosevelt Boulevard (Route 1) in Philadelphia and the Blue Route (I-476) in Delaware County this week through Aug. 3 for bridge inspections.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
Springfield – Thomson Avenue, Aqua utility installation between Baltimore Pike and Sproul Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 8.
Ridley Township – Route 291 North/South, milling/paving between Stewart Avenue and Crum Creek 6 p.m.-6 a.m. weekdays.
I-476 North/South – various municipalities, vegetation control with lane restrictions between I-95 and Germantown Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
Chester – Flower Street, ramp construction, closed/detoured between Second and Front streets, 24-hour detour posted through Sept. 8. Began July 7.
Radnor – Spring Mill Road, PECO Energy utility installation between Lancaster Avenue (Route 30) and Hilldale Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekays through July 29.
Upper Darby – Lansdowne Avenue, PECO utility installation between Ardmore Avenue and Harwood avenues 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through July 31. Work began July 10.
Chester Township – Concord Road, utility installation between Commerce Drive and McDonald Boulevard 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Sept. 25. Work began Feb. 19.
Amosland Road – Prospect Park and Norwood, Aqua installation between MacDade Boulevard and Chester Pike, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 29. Work began June 30.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.