As use of motorcycles/scooters increases, so do head injuries, Pitt helmet study says.
A recent study showing an increase in motorcyclists’ head injuries points out the need to restore the helmet law as high gas prices boost the use of motorcycles and scooters, says state Rep. Dan Frankle, D-Allegheny.
He said the study supports the need to restore the parts of Pennsylvania's motorcycle-helmet law that were repealed in 2003.
"This study shows an incredibly dramatic increase in head injuries and hospitalizations that exceeds the increase in the number of motorcycle riders in Pennsylvania,” Frankel said.
“The implications of this for health-care costs are staggering and affect everyone, through tax-funded health care, health insurance premiums and covering uncompensated care," he said.
Frankel is the lead sponsor of H.B. 945, a bipartisan bill that would restore the helmet requirement for people 21 or older.
"This increase in deaths and injuries is a preventable tragedy, and the study only covers data through 2005 – this situation will likely get worse as the recent spike in fuel prices drives more people to use motorcycles or scooters,” he said.
“We require adults over the age of 21 to wear seat belts in cars, and we should require adults over the age of 21 to wear helmets on motorcycles," he said.
For the recent study, two University of Pittsburgh faculty members analyzed Pennsylvania statistics such as helmet use and motorcycle-related deaths and head injuries, comparing the two years before the repeal and the first two years after the repeal. Among their findings: head injury deaths increased 66 percent and motorcycle-related head injury hospitalization increased 78 percent.
The study also found acute-care hospital charges for motorcycle-related head injuries increased 132 percent, and Frankel said that doesn't even include long-term care and rehabilitation costs.
The complete findings will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Frankel said a 2006 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study also showed a similar effect on the number of motorcycle riders' injuries in Pennsylvania following the helmet law repeal. Frankel also cited the example of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who spent two days in a hospital in June 2006 due to injuries from a crash where he was riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Roethlisberger pledged to wear a helmet from then on if he rides a motorcycle again.
I know a lot of motorcyclists will probably heartily disagree with me on this issue, but what good is having the liberty to have the wind blow through your hair if your brains can be splattered on the road in an accident? I always wore a helmet when bicycling and my bikes could never attain the speed a motorcycle does.
LINE PAINTING TIPS
PennDOT’s line painting program has been in operation since April and will finish in October.
On Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., crews painted a long stretch of I-95 between the Vine Expressway (I-676) and the Bucks County line, and on I-676 and I-95 in Philadelphia.
Here’s a no-brainer, during such slow-moving operations, PennDOT advises you to avoid running over the newly painted line and stay at least 100 feet behind an operating paint truck and don’t pass it.
This year PennDOT will paint over 7,000 traffic-line miles – nearly enough to go from Philadelphia to Los Angeles 2 1/2 times – to increase driver safety in the Philadelphia region.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, two paint crews apply more than 105,000 gallons of water-based yellow and white paint to guide motorists along state roads.
Crews use equipment to heat the paint to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and use spray guns to paint the lines. While the paint is wet, glass beads are poured onto the lines for reflectivity.
PennDOT expects to use about 800,000 pounds of glass beads this year in the region. Every gallon of paint applied requires seven pounds of reflective beads.
The width of the lane lines on interstate and other limited-access highways is six inches, while the yellow center and white edge lines on other state highways are four inches wide. PennDOT will spend about $1.8 million on its line-painting program this year in the five-county region.
To protect the paint crew and alert motorists of the painting operation, the PennDOT fleet consists of three trucks with warning signs, including a flashing arrow board.
Besides warning motorists not to tailgate the trucks, PennDOT offers the following tips:
BULLET The water-based paint usually takes between three and five minutes to dry. If paint does get onto a vehicle and it is less than a few hours old, you should wash the painted area with a high-pressure hose, located at most commercial car washes.
BULLET Motorists can also use a commercial latex paint remover, such as Goof Off, available at most hardware stores.
BULLET If the paint has hardened for more than a few hours, saturate a rag, or preferably cheese cloth with denatured alcohol or petroleum jelly, and hold, do not rub the spots, then wash the area with a high-pressure hose.
TOUR OF PA. BIKE RACE
State police at Troop J Lancaster are advising motorists to be aware that the Tour of Pennsylvania bicycle race will be traveling Wednesday through Chester County on Route 30 and Route 322 in Chester County and Route 322 in Lancaster County.
During this event, expect slow moving vehicles, possible backlogs and delays on the route.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
U.S. Route 1 South (Baltimore Pike) – Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge repairs over the Chester Creek 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.
U.S. Route 1 North/Media Bypass – Upper Providence, pipe repairs with lane restrictions at Baltimore Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Amosland Road – Prospect Park and Norwood, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation, closed/detoured between MacDade Boulevard and Chester Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays starting June 30, and through Aug. 29.
Upper Chichester – Naamans Creek Road, CSX Railroad crossing replacement between Meetinghouse and Mill roads 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 24-hour detour through Friday.
Haverford – College Avenue, PECO utility installation between Cooperstown and Turnbridge roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 30.
Haverford – Darby Road, road widening/utility installation by Goldenberg Group, closed/detoured between Route 320 and Marple Road, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays through July 25. Detour posted. Work began May 27.
Springfield – Baltimore Pike, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation between Route 320 (Sproul Road) and Paper Mill Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 30. Work began April 21.
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.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

RAILWAYS BILL to HELP OFFSET GAS CRISIS
In supporting the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Congressman Joe Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, last week voted to increase grants available to rail systems and to provide funds for high-speed rail networks. H.R. 6003 passed the House by a 311-104 margin, authorizing $14.9 billion over the next five years to make train service more efficient. Congressman Sestak applauded the bill, particularly due the effect of soaring gas prices.
“Make a greater investment in railways is especially important during this time,” Sestak said.
“We have seen more than an 11 percent increase in Amtrak ridership in the Northeast Corridor since October when you compare the numbers to the previous year.
“In addition, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently made clear that we can expect even greater demands to be placed on our mass transit systems if gas prices do not decrease,” Sestak said.
“We must allocate the necessary resources to support more use of railways and public transportation on the whole and to make these systems more efficient.”
In this bill, Congress authorizes $4.2 billion to Amtrak for capital and operating grants to maintain and rehabilitate physical infrastructure and support its employees. The legislation will benefit Amtrak’s organizational efficiency on the whole by offering congestion grants to Amtrak and States to high-priority rail corridors.
The Department of Transportation recently reported that if Amtrak achieved an 85 percent on-time performance outside the Northeast Corridor in fiscal year 2006, it would have saved Amtrak $136.6 million, almost one-third of its operation budget.
States will also receive $2.5 billion in grants to pay for the capital costs of facilities and equipment for new or improved intercity passenger rail. The Federal share of these grants, all of which will be awarded on a competitive basis, is up to 80 percent.
The bill authorizes $1.75 billion for grants to States and/or Amtrak to finance the construction and equipment for 11 high-speed rail corridors. This measure reflects the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission’s recommendation to establish a high-speed rail network across the United States. In addition, the Secretary of Transportation would be required to request proposals to create a high-speed rail system running between Washington, DC and New York City.
This provision is a good first step toward alleviating some airport delays, in addition to decreasing traffic on our roadways, by having a high-speed train from Philadelphia to Baltimore and Washington, he said. “But we cannot change people’s transportation habits unless we invest in the very best technology to make railroad use more attractive.”
SPRINGFIELD ROAD
A PennDOT spokesman said paving of Springfield Road between Bishop Avenue and State Road is expected to begin this week following preparation work for cold patches around manhole covers and storm inlets.
Despite complaints received from Springfield residents about the bumpy conditions caused by the necessary milling of the road prior to repaving, Charles Metzger pointed out that the milling work began the end of May. As of June 11, the contractor had to be pulled off the project to finish up work on Route 1, he said. Thunderstorms the previous night also postponed work at night, he said.
As a veteran driver and proponent of evasive driving, the only complaint I have is that the contractor could use a lot more orange day-glo paint to mark the upraised manhole covers and capped pipes like they did on Baltimore Pike – except the pike had light green paint.
If you drive at or below the speed limit and don’t tailgate the vehicle in front of you, you will give yourself sufficient time to observe the obstacles ahead and avoid them. I guess my reflexes are better than some drivers, thanks to my cycling days.
I always hear a lot of complaints from people who have to use milled roadways, but it’s necessary before repaving can be done.
And milling (roughing up the surface) can’t be done piecemeal, because the heavy duty equipment has to be used in one full sweep at night. FYI—I use that route every day to work and have no problem.
BLOOD FOR GAS
In an effort to boost summer blood donations, the Penn-Jersey Region of the American Red Cross is raffling a $50 Gas Card to one lucky donor every day from May 23rd through September 30th. All presenting blood donors from American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Region mobile blood drives, blood donation centers, and donation buses will be eligible to win.
Summer is a challenging time to collect enough blood to meet local patient needs. While the need for blood remains constant, it can be hard to find willing blood donors.
Blood drives are held seven days a week in communities across the region. To make an immediate appointment for an American Red Cross blood drive this week, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or visit www.pleasegiveblood.org to find a listing of community blood drives.
PATCO RATES
On Monday, June 16, 2008, the cost of a round-trip SEPTA transfer at New Jersey PATCO stations is going up 30 cents to $2.40. The special round-trip PATCO/SEPTA transfer was set to be 50 cents less than two SEPTA tokens and a 2007 SEPTA fare hike increased the price of tokens. The cost of a round-trip SEPTA transfer at New Jersey PATCO stations has been $2.10 since June of 2001.
The transfers may be purchased from vending machines in PATCO New Jersey stations.
SEPTA accepts this transfer from an interchange point with PATCO on:
1. The Market-Frankford Line and Broad-Ridge Subways
2. Subway-Surface Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36.
3. Bus Routes C, 2, 9, 12, 21, 23, 27, 32, 33, 38, 42, 44, 47, 47M, 48, 61 and 121.
The two piece SEPTA transfer must be used within expiration periods noted at the time of purchase.
DRPA & PATCO GET GRANTS
The Delaware River Port Authority/PATCO has been informed that they are receiving over $11-million in federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation. New Jersey U.S. Senator, Robert Menendez, announced the award today.
DRPA CEO and PATCO President, John J. Matheussen, said “$9.7 million is earmarked for the renovation of PATCO train cars while $1.75 million will be used for Ferry Terminal Improvements at Penns Landing in Philadelphia.”
PATCO has budgeted $180 million to rehabilitate its entire fleet of 121 cars. The actual work on the cars is expected to begin in 2009 and take four years to complete. This is part of an Authority-wide $1 billion dollar capital improvement plan slated to take place over the next five-plus years.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
Chester Township – Engle Street, DELCORA utility installation between Tollston Road and 12th Street, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-June 20.
Haverford – College Avenue, PECO utility installation between Cooperstown and Turnbridge roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-June 30.
Aston – Pennell Road (Route 452), trench restoration by Chester Water Authority between Glendale Boulevard and Jessica Way 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 18. Work began June 2.
Haverford – Darby Road, road widening/utility installation by Goldenberg Group, closed/detoured between Route 320 and Marple Road, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays through July 25. Detour posted. Work began May 27.
Springfield – Baltimore Pike, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation between Route 320 (Sproul Road) and Paper Mill Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 30. Work began April 21.
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.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

ROAD RAGE…
Roads Must Be Milled Before Being Repaved
I’m sick and tired of whiners complaining about driving on milled roads – in other words, roughed-up surfaces required before repaving.
A recent Sound-Offer – no name required of course – complained, er whined, about road workers ripping up Springfield Road from Clifton Heights to the Media Bypass – and getting a flat tire.
He or she asked why would anyone in their right mind rip up about four to five miles of highway when you can only pave so much at a time? FYI, it’s not a highway; it’s primarily one lane in each direction south of Eagle Road.
The person continued to complain that we have to drive through this bumpy section for the next several weeks and damage our cars and tires. I use this route every day to and from work and haven’t incurred any damage.
As a veteran driver, I have had no problem using my God-given eyes and reflexes using evasive driving to avoid the upraised manholes and other capped pipes. That’s because I’m driving at a safe speed that gives me enough time to anticipate such obstacles and drive accordingly. And not tailgating the guy in front of me.
What is the contractor supposed to do – mill this busy section of roadway piecemeal – instead of dragging out and utilizing its heavy milling equipment in one full swoop?
Similar complaints were made when road workers handled the enormous job of milling and paving Baltimore Pike/Avenue between Route 420 in Springfield and Clifton Heights. I have no qualms to criticize PennDOT when it’s deserved, but I believe the repaving work on the Pike was done as quickly and safely as humanly possible.
Sorry, to those out there whose morning coffee cups may get jostled in their consoles, but I thought evasive driving was part and parcel of passing the motor vehicle operator’s test before qualifying for a license. Patience is a virtue few motorists have nowadays in this age of road rage, along with safe, evasive driving ability.
The only concession I will make to this issue is that the contractors should use more orange day-glo spray paint around the edges of manholes and capped pipes so they’re easier to see from a distance.
Here’s a suggestion: use another route or parallel road -- even if you have to go out of your way –if milled roads are anathema to you.

Road Watch for June 1
(Maybe PennDOT should inspect its bridges once a year – not every two years.)
Gov. Edward G. Rendell has asked the honchos in Harrisburg to add $200 million more a year for 10 years to the $1 billion-plus already earmarked for repairs of “structurally deficient” state bridges – including six in the county.
Pennsylvania has the distinction – or notoriety – of leading the nation with such bridges, nearly 6,000. Rendell recently urged lawmakers to use funding from bonds which would be repaid from bridge funds now collected into the Motor License Fund that already collects more than $3 billion a year in fuel taxes and vehicle registration/driver’s license fees.
Federal and other state funds also will pay for the total cost of fixing 1,145 bridges over the next three years.
Most motorists don’t even think about our bridges until one suddenly closes for necessary repairs – causing traffic delays – Rendell said. Doubling your miles for your daily commute in these days of $4-plus a gallon gas also creates an economic hardship.
In April, PennDOT was forced to close the Route 53 Irvona Bridge in Clearfield County for one week -- which carries about 4,400 vehicles a day – creating a 25-mile detour. Emergency repairs allowed one lane to be reopened after the first week; the other lane was opened later.
In March, a three-mile stretch of I-95 in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia – which handles 180,000 vehicles a day – was closed on a Monday night because of a lengthy crack in a 15-foot high support column fortunately noticed by an alert engineer after a lunch break in his car. Averted was a major bridge collapse, like that on I-35 West in Minneapolis, Minn., at evening rush hour last August which took 13 lives. Cars and occupants were plunged into the Mississippi River.
The section of busy I-95, built in the 1960s, was already scheduled to be part of a nearly $2 billion project later this year. Posing an immediate danger of motorists and residents, PennDOT crews worked around the clock to install additional supports. To their credit, the highway was reopened in three days.
The I-95 incident followed the seven-inch buckling of the Birmingham Bridge in Pittsburgh on Feb. 8, causing the closing of state Route 2085.
Not on Rendell’s recent high-priority list of bridges needing repair was the U.S. Route 322 bridge built in 1949 that spans the CSX Railroad tracks and unmarked Bethel Road exit, although PennDOT has rated its substructure below the bridge as Condition 3 or serious condition. Its sufficiency rating was 17 based on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst and 100 being best.
Last August, PennDOT reported repairs would be made then to cracks and spalling in the concrete abutment and columns supporting the bridge beams underneath. However, officials said the bridge beams were not structurally deficient.
Repairs to the substructure concrete supports, a back wall and abutment, and expansion joints will be made in mid to late June this year, a PennDOT spokesman said Friday.
When asked about the large percentage of heavy tractor-trailers that use the Conchester Highway, officials said no weight limit was required last summer. The bridge over two sets of railroad tracks handles 36,000 vehicles daily.
Each state-owned bridge is inspected every two years by law, and more often, based on the condition of a bridge. The term “structurally deficient” is used when a component of a bridge is deteriorating, such as the beams or concrete decks, but it doesn’t mean a bridge is unsafe, PennDOT says.
Among the six state bridges in the county slated for replacement, the deteriorating Market Street (Route 452) Bridge over Amtrak/SEPTA lines in Marcus Hook and Lower Chichester has been cited for replacement for over a decade.
Finally, PennDOT recently said construction is expected to begin next summer and completed by December 2010. The cost of such progress will cause a great inconvenience to businesses and residents, but ultimately the safety of those traversing the bridge will be assured.
Maybe we need to inspect deficient bridges at least once a year and hire more inspectors such as structural engineer Peter Kim of Horsham and his colleague Tony Jen who took their job seriously even on their lunch break under I-95 in Philly.
(Note: Read Monday’s Daily Times for an in-depth article on six state bridges in Delco.)
WHITMAN BRIDGE
The Delaware River Port Authority has awarded a $9.7 million contract to remove the existing lead-based paint and apply a new high-performance coating system to the nine deck trusses of the New Jersey approaches to the Walt Whitman Bridge.
This project should begin in mid to late summer and will take about 15 months to complete, says DRPA Chief Engineer William Brooks.
In addition, the DRPA has awarded a $968,306 contract to Urban Engineers of Philadelphia to monitor the project.
The project is virtually identical to what’s taking place now on the Philadelphia side of the Ben Franklin Bridge, says DRPA CEO John Matheussen.
As an assessment of the Walt Whitman Bridge shows “early signs of deterioration of the steel structure and this project will provide the proper level of corrosion protection to extend the life of the structure,” Brooks said.
This is the second phase of the steel painting project on the bridge. The first phase involved the approaches on the Pennsylvania side of the river. Another future phase will include the bridge span itself.
Traffic Delays
Darby Township – Hook Road, patching between Primos and Clifton avenues 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday.
I-95 North/South – Tinicum, sign inspection with a lane closure between Route 420 and the Delaware County line 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Tuesday.
Kerlin Street – Upland/Chester, sidewalk repairs between Upland Road and I-95 on-ramp 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Upland and Chester – Upland Avenue, paving between Route 352 (Edgmont Avenue) and 22nd Street, 6 p.m.-6 a.m. Monday-Tuesday.
Concord – U.S. 202 North, paving between Naamans Creek Road and Smithbridge Road, 6 p.m.-6 a.m. Monday-Tuesday.
Springfield Road – Clifton Heights, Upper Darby, Springfield and Marple, milling between Baltimore Avenue and State Road (Route 1) 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Upper Darby – Burmont Road, paving between Garrett Road and State Road 6 p.m.-6 a.m. Thursday-Friday.
Haverford – Darby Road, road widening/utility installation, closed/detoured between Route 320 and Marple Road, Mondays-Saturdays through July 25. Detour posted. Work began May 27.
Springfield – Baltimore Pike, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation between Route 320 (Sproul Road) and Paper Mill Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 30. Work began April 21.
Chester Township – Concord Road, utility installation between Commerce Drive and McDonald Boulevard 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Wednesday. Work began Feb. 19.
Newtown – West Chester Pike East/West (Route 3), inlet repairs between Media Line Road and Route 252, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Aston – Pennell Road (Route 452), trench restoration by Chester Water Authority between Glendale Boulevard and Jessica Way 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-June 18.
Upper Darby – Oak Avenue, patching between Providence Road and Riveley Avenue 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday.
Upper Chichester – U.S. Route 322 East (Conchester Highway), patching between Route 452 and I-95, Tuesday-Wednesday.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.