Nearly $30 million in grants going to western Pennsylvania communities to upgrade traffic signals
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's administration is starting the new year with the goal of making the commonwealth's roads safer.
A nearly $30 million investment will go to communities all across Pennsylvania as part of the Green Light-Go Program.
According to PennDOT, it's a reimbursement grant program that will see municipalities get the money back for projects that improve the efficiency and operation of existing traffic signals.
How will this program affect the Pittsburgh area?
Locally, Allegheny County is leading the way with grants, receiving about $4.7 million.
Of that nearly $4.7 million, more than $1 million of it is from the City of Pittsburgh.
In Beaver County, they'll be receiving $132,000, Butler County will get $295,000, Fayette County will get nearly $500,000, and Washington County will get nearly $900,000.
More than a dozen municipalities in Allegheny County will benefit from the upgrades, including Pittsburgh, Mount Lebanon, Green Tree, McCandless, and Wilkinsburg.
Outside of Allegheny County, projects are planned for Center Township in Beaver County; Cranberry Township and Seven Fields in Butler County; North and South Union Townships in Fayette County and Peters Township in Washington County.
PennDOT says communities that have already implemented the technology are seeing improvements in traffic movement.
"We do, in fact, see better traffic movement when we have these technologies," said Waters-Trasatt. "A lot of it is helping emergency services get through the light faster," she said. "It's making sure signals are responding to what traffic is in the moment, not just sitting there."
What is the overall goal of this program?
PennDOT spokesperson Erin Waters-Trasatt says the upgraded technology allows traffic signals to better respond to real-time conditions.
"We're able to help those local governments make travel more efficient in their communities," said Waters-Trasatt. "This means newer detection technology systems that can actually think, responding to real-time traffic conditions."
She added that the funding can be used for a variety of signal upgrades.
"We can do everything from helping replace signal equipment to updating systems so they're more responsive to what traffic is on the ground," said Waters-Trasatt. "So, you aren't sitting there for so long."
What does the grant program do for Pennsylvania communities?
These grants will help municipalities improve congestion and traffic flow by upgrading to newer technology, which will enhance traffic detection, allowing signals to better respond to real-time traffic demands.
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro and his administration have distributed $96 million through the Green Light-Go Program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be available from March 1 to March 31.
The application can be found on the PennDOT website right here.