PennDOT Reviews Preparations for Coming Winter

PennDOT Reviews Preparations for Coming Winter

11/4/2016-NORRISTOWN

With snow already visiting some areas of Pennsylvania, PennDOT Secretary
Leslie
S. Richards today outlined the agency's plans for winter services and
encouraged drivers to be prepared as well.

"Our residents count on PennDOT to keep them moving regardless of the
weather
and we take that mission very seriously," Richards said during a news
conference at the PennDOT maintenance facility in Norristown, Montgomery
County. "We have our materials and equipment in place and our staff of
dedicated equipment operators, district-level staff and staff in
Maintenance
and Operations are ready to go."

This winter, all of the more than 2,200 PennDOT-owned and rented plow
trucks
will be equipped with AVL technology — meaning the public can view the
trucks
on interstates and expressways this winter at www.511PA.com. PennDOT
started
the AVL program in 2014 in 119 plow trucks and expanded it to more than 700

trucks last winter. The AVL unit in each truck sends a cellular signal
through
the system showing where a truck is located and whether or how much
material is
being spread from the truck.

The AVL system is part of Governor Wolf's GO-TIME initiative that leverages

inter-agency coordination and collaboration to maximize efficiency,
modernize
state government operations, and provide the highest quality services.

The Secretary noted that PennDOT has compiled all of its information about
winter series into a special page on the web site at:
http://www.penndot.gov/TravelInPA/Winter/Pages/default.aspx

The site also has a complete winter guide with detailed information about
winter services in each of PennDOT's 11 engineering districts.

With $205 million budgeted for statewide winter operations, PennDOT deploys

about 4,800 on-the road workers and has more than 768,000 tons of salt on
hand
across the state.

The state's snow plow trucks are equipped with computerized salt spreaders
that
allow operators to calibrate the exact amount of salt to be distributed
regardless of the speed of the truck.

"Our equipment operators have an enormous amount of responsibility during a

storm as they plow snow, monitor computers that control the flow of salt,
monitor pavement temperatures, and keep their eyes on traffic and possible
roadside obstacles," Richards said. "We urge drivers to allow plenty of
space
to snow plow operators so they can perform their jobs effectively and
safely."

When winter weather hits, PennDOT's primary focus is on interstates and
expressways, and equipment may be redirected to those routes during
significant
winter events. The more traffic a roadway has, the more attention it will
receive from plows, so motorists may find deeper accumulations on
less-traveled
routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions.

In addition to planning for traffic impacts, Richards noted that vehicle
preparation is critical to safe winter travel.

If motorists encounter snow or ice-covered roads, they should slow down,
increase their following distance and avoid distractions. Last winter in
Pennsylvania, preliminary data shows that there were 224 crashes resulting
in
103 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where
aggressive-driving
behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors.
Tires should also be checked often for the correct level of air pressure
and
adequate tire-tread depth to perform on ice and snow. A quick way to check
tread depth is to insert a penny in the tread groove with Lincoln's head
upside
down. If you can see the entire head, the tires are worn and traction will
suffer. If you live in an area prone to heavy snow, drivers may want to
consider using dedicated snow tires or carrying a set of tire chains. At a
minimum, all-season tires should be rated for use in mud and snow.

Once vehicles are travel-ready, drivers should be prepared for winter or
vehicle emergencies especially if long-distance travel is planned. PennDOT
urges motorists to carry an emergency kit.

An emergency kit should include items such as non-perishable food, water,
first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small

snow shovel. However, motorists should tailor their kits to any specific
needs
that they or their families may have. Consider adding such items as baby
supplies, extra medication, pet supplies, or even children's games.
For more information on PennDOT's winter preparations and additional
winter-driving resources for motorists, visit the department's winter Web
page,
www.PennDOT.gov/winter.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including

color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com.
511PA,
which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay
warnings,
weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 800
traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and
Android
devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts
accessible
on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow PennDOT
information
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and follow the department on
Facebook
at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at

www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

To view a complete list of District 6 News Releases: Click
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