Northwest Commission launches online survey to gather input for regional transportation plan

The Northwest Commission, a Local Development District serving an eight-county region of Northwest Pennsylvania, recently launched an online survey to gather public input as it updates its regional long-range transportation plan (LRTP).

The plan will serve as a guide for how state and federal investments should be made across a five-county region that includes Clarion, Crawford, Forest, Venango and Warren Counties. Approximately $56.6 million in state and federal funds is invested into the region’s transportation system each year.

The commission last updated the plan in 2015, and the update is expected to be completed later this year.

The survey allows participants to provide input on regional transportation priorities and suggested project needs through the use of an interactive map.

“The survey provides an excellent opportunity for the public to provide input into the process in a user-friendly and convenient way,” Travis Siegel, Regional Planning Manager at the Northwest Commission, said.

The commission also intends to make a draft plan available at upcoming events throughout the region to gather public insights. The commission will provide a full list of events in early March.

“The Commission is seeking to engage all users of our transportation system: students, workers, seniors, business owners, and tourists,” Siegel said. “By working together to define what our specific planning needs are, we can begin drafting the policies and identifying the projects we need to improve the region’s mobility and economic development potential.”

The Northwest Commission is leading the update of the LRTP in cooperation with PennDOT and with technical consulting assistance from Michael Baker International, Inc. A project advisory committee consisting of representatives from the region’s five counties, the Oil Region Alliance and the Crawford Area Transit Authority (CATA), is guiding the update.

“This process is a regional conversation and an important opportunity for those who live and work within the region to discuss how we want to address transportation and traffic issues over the long-term,” Siegel said. “We all have a stake in those decisions, for our own future and economic competitiveness.”