Government Transportation

Survey Finds Most Pennsylvanians Continue To Drive Alone


By Marie Cusick | PA Post

Drivers on the newly designated I-95 in September 2018.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com

Pennsylvanians mainly get around by driving alone, according to the results of a new PennDOT survey.

The results help the state plan for upgrades and improvements to the vast network of roadways throughout the Commonwealth.

Every two years PennDOT does public outreach to try to figure out how people are traveling and see what kinds of concerns they have about transportation.

Agency spokeswoman Erin Waters-Trasatt said the goal is to include public feedback into the long-range planning, which includes lining up construction projects as many as four to 12 years in advance.

“We have the fifth largest roadway network in the country and the third largest state-maintained bridge network,” she said.  “So there are a lot of miles of roadway here and a lot of concerns.”

The 2019 survey included responses from over 6,000 people. Seventy-seven percent reported that driving alone was their main way of getting around.

Waters-Trasatt said that’s like the survey results from two years ago. One thing that changed this year is more people report flying as transportation mode.

Top concerns among the respondents were improving road pavement, traffic flow, and restoring or replacing bridges.

PA Post is a digital-first, citizen-focused news organization that connects Pennsylvanians with accountability and deep-dive reporting.





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