April 2009 Archives

Three students from Northeastern Senior High School swept the safe driving competition last week.

Cameron Winters took first place, scoring 130 out of 165 points, said Wayne Harper, director of the Center for Traffic Safety. Winters won a $2,500 scholarship from Glatfelter Insurance Group.

Tyler Quinn came in second, scoring 129 points. He'll receive a $1,500 scholarship from the York-Adams chapter of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association.

And Nick Michalak placed third, scoring 120 points. He'll get a $500 scholarship from the York-Adams chapter of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association as well.

This is the ninth time in the past 10 years that Northeastern has won the team competition.

All three students will compete in the state championship Friday at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center in Camp Hill.

Good luck!

If you have ever had to buy a child safety seat, you know how frustrating it can be to choose one.

Help is on the way, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week. It plans to create a new program to help parents and caregivers find a seat that fits in their vehicle.

It's the result of a review ordered by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, according to a news release. He also wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a new side impact safety standard for car seats. Side impact crashes account for one-third of all highway deaths among children under 13 years old.

As a part of the new program, car manufacturers will recommend specific seats in various price ranges that fit for individual vehicles. Some manufacturers, such as Nissan and others in Europe, already provide similar recommendations, the news release states.

Unfortunately, the program will not be instituted until the 2011 models come out next year.

Have you had to buy a car seat lately? Do you find it confusing? How did you end up picking one?

Crews will be cutting brush, mowing and doing other maintenance work this week, according to the weekly schedule for the York County maintenance office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Drivers may see single-lane restrictions on the following roads:

--- Route 262 Road from Route 114 to Interstate 83 in Fairview Township for crack sealing.

--- Cabin Hollow Road from Route 15 to Route 194 in Franklin Township and Franklintown for pipe patching.

--- Miller Road between routes 425 and 851 in Fawn and Peach Bottom townships for base repair/widening.

--- Crossroads Avenue between Felton Borough and Route 24 for base repair/widening.

--- Druck Valley Road between North Sherman Street and Tracy School Road in Springettsbury and Hellam townships for building inlets.

--- Windsor Road between routes 74 and 24 in Windsor Township for mowing.

--- Blue Hill Road in Manheim Township for mowing.

--- Rockville Road in Jackson Township for mowing.

--- West College Avenue from Hokes Mill Road to Route 616 in West Manchester Township for mowing.

--- Windsor Road from Route 74 to Route 124 in several municipalities for brush cutting.

--- Porters Road from Krafts Mill Road to Route 516 in Heidelberg and North Codorus townships for brush cutting.

--- Manheim Road from Glenville Road to Route 216 in Manheim Township for brush cutting.

--- Blue Hill Road in Manheim Township for brush cutting.

With warm weather returning, motorcycle riders are hitting the road again, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wants to remind drivers to look out for one another.

The number of registered motorcycles in Pennsylvania increased in 2008 by more than 30,000, while the number of licensed motorcyclists increased by 15,000, according to PennDOT.

Because of their size and maneuverability, motorcycles present challenges to cyclists and other drivers, PennDOT says. Motorcycles are often hidden in a driver's blind spot or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a vehicle.

Drivers should double-check blind spots and rearview and side mirrors before changing lanes or making turns, according to the news release.

With the economic downturn, the American Automobile Association has created a list of affordable road trips on its recently launched travel blog, AAATravelViews.com.

One of the eight trips on the list is Hershey/Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It, of course, includes stops in Hershey, Harrisburg, Gettysburg and Lancaster.

But York also is listed in the second leg of the journey, including a stop at the York County Heritage Trust to learn about the town's history. York is where the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation.

It also suggests picking up lunch at the Central Market, taking a tour of the Wolfgang Candy Company, and shopping for goodies at the D.F. Stauffer Biscuit Company.

AAA's list includes other tourist destinations, such as Cape Cod, Historic Virginia and the Rocky Mountains, if you're interested. You can go here to check it out.

If you're wondering if traffic is heavy or free flowing on Interstate 83, you can check out the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's traffic cameras.

As of 3:15 p.m. today, April 21, traffic is moving freely on I-83 near the Lewisberry Road exit.

You can check out the conditions around the Capital Beltway by clicking here.

A search for the best student drivers in York and Adams counties will be held Wednesday at South Western High School, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Up to three students from each participating school will compete in the 2009 Safe Driving Competition, which is being offered by The Center for Traffic Safety.

Students will be judged on their safety knowledge and safe driving skills. They'll have an chance to win scholarships and savings bonds and move forward to compete at the state level on May 1.

Judges will include state and municipal police officers as well as county officials and other safety professionals.

If you're planning to travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike this weekend, you'll want to know about a five-hour closure this weekend.

The turnpike will be closed in both directions from 11 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday between the Breezewood and Carlisle exits. Drivers getting off the turnpike will receive directions for the detour route.

The closure is necessary so that crews can demolish a bridge that carries Dyarman Road over the turnpike in Cumberland County.

This is the final of three demolition detours scheduled this spring.

We received a postcard in the mail today about Rabbittransit's express bus service to Harrisburg and Maryland.

The transit agency has been trying to get the word out, especially with its new service to Maryland. Ridership was slim when it started.

The postcard highlights some of the benefits, such as saving on gas and wear and tear on your vehicle.

You can find out more about the express service by going here.

Have you been riding one of the express buses? What do you think of it?

Have you thought about taking a vacation this summer but feel uneasy about it because of the struggling economy?

The American Automobile Association is offering a quiz to help people determine if it's the right time to take one.

Regarding your finances, are you:

One of the estimated 90 percent of homeowners who are consistently on-time with mortgage payments, or are always on-time with rent?

Among those who have access to some emergency cash to protect against an unexpected financial setback?

A borrower with a responsible credit history?

Steadily working on other life-time financial goals, such as student tuition and/or retirement savings?

Have a history of steady employment with fairly predictable earnings or have a reliable fixed income?

Have been able to afford and pay for leisure travel experiences with little difficulty in the past?

The association believes that millions of Americans can positively answer these questions, providing reasonable assurance that a trip is within their reach this year, the news release states.

Now ask yourself the following questions to see if emotionally you could benefit from the break:

Has it been more than 18 months since my last significant vacation?

When I traveled last, did I bring work or family pressures with me?

Have my recent travel experiences been to predictable and familiar destinations?

Have I experienced a loss or other major change in my life that challenged my emotions?

Am I about to mark a major milestone such as a birthday, graduation, anniversary or career change?

Have I missed significant occasions when I should have celebrated or rewarded myself?

Is there a family member or friend that is owed a long-overdue visit?

The association suggests that if you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you should make travel a high priority this year.

The association also argues that it's a good time to travel because of the bargains out there, and that doing so would help get the economy moving again.

So what do you think? Was this helpful?

Are you planning to take a vacation or are you skipping it this year?

It's that time of year when teenagers attend proms, graduations and other parties as the school year comes to an end.

Those celebrations could turn tragic if someone decides to drink and drive.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wants to remind teens and their parents about the state's Zero Tolerance Law that carries serious consequences for those under 21 convicted of driving under the influence with any amount of alcohol in their blood.

Those under 21 convicted of DUI with a .02 blood alcohol content, or greater, face penalties, including a 12-month to 18-month license suspension, 48 hours to six months in jail, and fines of $500 to $5,000.

It's also against the law for young adults under the age of 21 to consume, possess or transport alcohol. And adults can be held accountable if they supply alcohol to minors.

Gas prices are projected to average $2.23 per gallon this summer, down almost $1.60 from last summer, the Energy Information Administration released today.

The average price per gallon of regular gas is projected to be $2.17 for all of 2009. That is expected to increase to $2.42 in 2010.

With that news, will you consider traveling more this summer?

Gas prices may be cheaper than last year, but the cost of owning and operating a new car has remained the same, according to an American Automobile Association news release.

The association's 2009 edition of "Your Driving Costs" shows the average cost for a new sedan driven 15,000 miles per year is 54 cents per mile, only 0.1 cent less than last year.

The savings at the pump have been countered by increases in ownership costs, such as insurance premiums, depreciation, finance charges and other fees and taxes, AAA Automotive Vice President Marshall L. Doney said in the news release.

In addition, AAA used revised Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy estimates that are intended to better reflect "real world" results.

For more information, you can download a "Your Driving Costs" brochure here.

Repairs to Route 116 between Gettysburg and Fairfield in Adams County start tomorrow, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Crews will repair and resurface a 6½ mile stretch of the road between Old Mill Road in Cumberland Township and Carroll's Tract Road in Fairfield.

Drivers may see single-lane restrictions in the work zone during daylight hours.

PennDOT has contracted with Kinsley Construction to do the work for $1.7 million.

Kinsley has agreed to suspend construction activities July 2 through July 14 because of increased traffic during Civil War reenactments and Bike Week.

The entire project is scheduled to be finished by the end of August.

Crews will be patching potholes on Interstate 83 and doing some other work this week.

Drivers will have to watch for the slow-moving operation.

Three roads will be closed for pipe replacement: Rockville Road in Jackson Township, Cabin Hollow Road in Franklin Township and Thoman Drive in Heidelberg Township.

And drivers might see single-lane restrictions on the following roads:

Susquehanna Trail from Route 30 to Church Road in Manchester Township for crack sealing.

Harmony Grove Road from Route 74 to Wellsville Road in Dover and Warrington townships for crack sealing.

Ted Wallace Road in Chanceford Township for shoulder cutting.

Good Road between Frosty Hill and Ted Wallace roads in Lower Chanceford and Chanceford townships for shoulder cutting.

Druck Valley Road from North Sherman Street to Tracy School Road in Springettsbury and Hellam townships for building inlets.

North George Street between Manchester and York Haven for bridge joint repairs.

Accomac Road between Route 30 and the Susquehanna River in Hellam Township for base repair/widening.

Locust Grove Road between Old Orchard Road and Route 124 in Springettsbury and Windsor townships for base repair/widening.

Windsor Road between routes 74 and 24 in Windsor Township for mowing.

Blue Hill Road in Manheim Township for mowing.

Rockville Road in Jackson Township for mowing.

West College Avenue between Hokes Mill Road and Route 616 in West Manchester and North Codorus townships for mowing.

Just a reminder to anyone who rides Rabbittransit that the buses will not run on Sunday in observance of Easter. Service will resume Monday at the regularly scheduled time.

For more information, call 846-RIDE or 1-800-632-9063.

Congratulations to a group of Central York High School students that won the "Drive Safe PA" radio contest.

The students who submitted the winning entry are: Courtney Peterson, Madison McSherry, Emily Schaeffer, Natasha Stanley and Jen Mills.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation introduced the "Drive Safe PA" contest in February, asking high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to create a 30-second radio public service announcement focused on aggressive driving, buckling up or driving under the influence.

PennDOT selected a winner from each of its 11 engineering districts. York County is in District 8, which includes Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and Perry counties.

The winning students will be invited to Harrisburg this month to have their entries professionally recorded. The announcements will be distributed to local radio stations in May as part of National Youth Traffic Safety month.

Sometimes you drive by a crew working along the road and wonder what the workers are doing, especially if it's not a big project like paving a stretch of road or rehabbing a bridge.
Well, there's a lot of maintenance work that's done by the York County maintenance office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and we try to publish a list of its scheduled work every week.
The scope of the work often isn't spelled out, but now PennDOT has detailed descriptions of the activities on its web site: www.state.pa.us for those who are interested. Click on "What is Maintenance?" on the right side.
For example, pipe replacement is a year-round activity, and pipes are typically installed prior to repaving or sealing the pavement surface, the snippet on pipe replacement and cleaning states.
Did you know that more than 70 percent of the pipe installed in the state is plastic because of its durability and ease of handling? The remaining 30 percent is split between metal and concrete.

Many carpool commuters haven't gone back to driving by themselves, even though the price of gas is cheaper than it was last summer.
Commuter Services of South Central Pennsylvania, which helps people find alternatives to driving alone whether it be carpooling, taking the bus, or something else, recently conducted a poll of its customer database.
Seventy-three percent of respondents said they changed their driving habits when gas reached $4 a gallon. When they were asked if they changed their habits again when gas dropped below $2 a gallon, 82 percent said they did not, its news release states.
Have you been carpooling with someone else to work? Is it still attractive even though gas is cheaper than it was last summer?
For more information about Commuter Services, go here.