Maryland’s ban on hand-held cell phones starts today

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Don’t forget: Maryland’s ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving starts today, Oct. 1.
Drivers could face a $40 fine for the first violation and $100 for subsequent ones, according to an Associated Press story. Drivers can only be pulled over if they are committing another offense as well.
For more information, click here

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No texting signs coming for the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is launching a statewide safety-awareness campaign this week aimed at reducing the text-related crashes on the state’s toll highways, according to a news release.
Officials will unveil new “no-texting” signs today at the Turnpike’s Central Administration Building, 700 South Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg.
The new messages are being revealed on the eve of the Turnpike’s 70th anniversary. The toll road opened to traffic on Oct. 1, 1940.

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Public hearing on Wednesday night for Route 15 study

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

A public hearing will be held Wednesday on a transportation amendment regarding the Route 15 corridor in York County and part of Adams County.
The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Northern High School Cafeteria, 653 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg.
Plans for Route 15 including making it a limited access highway in the long term, said Will Clark, chief of transportation planning for York County.
Copies of the proposed amendment are available at the York County Planning Commission office, 28 E. Market St. in York or online at www.ycpc.org. Look under Transportation Planning Division, Plans/Studies in Development.

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Special enforcement underway on Route 15

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Police will be looking for drivers who are speeding, tailgating or breaking other laws on Route 15 this week, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The targeted enforcement area will be from the Perry and Cumberland county line to the Maryland border, PennDOT says. That stretch of road crosses through York and Adams counties.
The special effort, which is part of the Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project funded by PennDOT, will run from Sept. 15 to Sept. 22.
Law enforcement held a similar effort last year because the community was concerned about problems with aggressive driving along the heavily-traveled route.
Because of the efforts promoted last year through enforcement, education and community support, the campaign was chosen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a “best practice” and will be showcased in an upcoming publication featuring other “best practice” efforts nationwide.

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Rabbittransit’s new technology will tell you if bus is on time

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Want to know if a Rabbittransit bus is on time? There’s now an app for that.
The iPhone App, which is free, provides information for the Route 1, the line that has the most traffic with 500,000 riders a year, the Rabbitexpress buses to Harrisburg and Maryland, and the York College Green Machine service. Just search for “rabbittransit” in the app store, according to a news release.
A smart phone application for the Android will be available in October and one for the BlackBerry is still in the works.
All Rabbittransit vehicles are now equipped with GPS technology, and a new Infopoint section on transit agency’s website displays real-time information on the bus locations and departure times.
Riders at the Rabbittransit Transfer Center will be able to see the next available departure times on large-scale screens. Additional passenger screens are expected to be installed at York Hospital and York College.
For those who use the paratransit service, riders receive notification calls about their trip times from an automated phone system, which uses interactive voice response technology. Customers can opt to receive reminder calls prior to the bus arriving.
For more information about the latest technology features, visit www.rabbittransit.org and click on the “smarthop” icon.

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Where should your feet go when using cruise control?

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Where should you put your feet when using the cruise control on your vehicle?
Wayne Harper, director of the Center for Traffic Safety, said he’s not sure he’s ever seen any instruction on where drivers should place their feet. He tries to keep his feet flat on the floor between the gas pedal and the brake. That way, he can slow down or speed up if he suddenly needs to.
“You still want to be in the ready position,” he said.
Using cruise control can help save gas and maintain your speed, Harper said.
It’s best to use it on limited access roads or four-lane highways, such as Interstate 83 and Route 30.

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Night work to start Thursday on Route 30 in Gettysburg

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Work will start Thursday night on a project to resurface Route 30 between Seminary Ridge Road and Lincoln Square in Gettysburg, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The night work is scheduled for Aug. 26 and 27 and Sept. 1, 2, and 7, weather permitting.
On Thursday and Friday, crews will remove the top layer of asphalt on the road between between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Next week, crews plan to finish the asphalt removal during the day, and return to night work on Sept. 1, 2 and 7 to pave the road.
Drivers may see shifting traffic patterns and temporary lane restrictions over the next few weeks.

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Open house set for bridge rehab in Baltimore County

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

If you drive in northern Baltimore County, you’ll want to know about an upcoming meeting on a bridge rehabilitation project coming in the spring.
The State Highway Administration is hosting an informational meeting about the Downes Road bridge over Interstate 83, according to a news release. Plans call for replacing the deck on the two-lane bridge, and it will be closed to traffic during the summer of 2011.
There also will be off-peak daytime and nighttime single-lane closures along I-83 in the vicinity of the bridge.
The open-house style meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31 in the cafeteria of Seventh District Elementary School, 20300 York Road, Parkton, Md.
Originally built in 1958, the Downes Road bridge is showing signs of deterioration, and the deck replacement project is expected to extend the service life of the bridge by 30 years to 50 years.
The proposed detour route includes York, Old York, and Sampson roads.

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Work starts Monday on Routes 177 and 262 intersection

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

A project to realign and install traffic signals at the intersection of Routes 177 and 262 in Fairview Township starts Monday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The $1.3 million contract was awarded to Leon Wintermyer Co. Inc of Etters. The work includes project design, excavation, roadway realignment, signal installation and paving.
Drivers may see shifting traffic patterns and single-lane restrictions with flaggers directing traffic through the work zone on weekdays after 9 a.m. as crews install drainage pipe and temporarily widen and realign the road.
The contractor has agreed to suspend construction over the Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekends and from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3.
The entire project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2011.

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Short wait — if any — at this driver’s license center

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Teresa Boeckel

Every four years, drivers in Pennsylvania face that dreaded task: Getting their photographs taken for a new driver’s license.
I got mine taken last weekend at the driver’s license center in Stewartstown.
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but every time I go there, I’m in and out within 15 minutes or less.
Last Saturday, the center was empty when I walked in around lunchtime.
So if you have some time and want to take a little drive, you can check out the center in Stewartstown. It’s located at Messina Plaza (lower level), 63 N. Main St.

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