- Pennsylvania Makes Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program Permanent
- Bill Targeting “Chick-fil-A” Would Require Future NY Thruway Restaurants To Operate On Sundays
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Pennsylvania Makes Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program Permanent
PennLive.com reports, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) last week signed HB 1284, legislation that made permanent an Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program launched in 2020 that is credited with reducing speeding and fatal crashes. Pennsylvania Turnpike COO Craig Shuey welcomed the enactment, stating, “This is a program that has really shown promise for us to be able to better enforce speed limits in our construction zones as well as our maintenance patterns. It allows us to continue using a really good tool to protect our work force.” The pilot program was supported and overseen by the turnpike commission, PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police. The new law addresses some concerns lawmakers had about the pilot. It mandates the size and placement of roadside warning signs, establishes certain defenses for vehicle owners, and modifies the initial penalty provisions. A motorist caught driving at least 12 miles per hour over the posted speed limit will now receive a warning upon a first violation and be liable for a $75.00 fine upon a second offense. The fine increases to $150.00 for third and subsequent violations. Fine revenue is allocated to turnpike commission, state police and PennDOT budgets. According to a legislative committee fiscal note, $7 million in fines were collected during the pilot, and the agencies netted almost $1.5 million after program costs were deducted.
Automated Enforcement of Speed Limits Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC)Bill Targeting “Chick-fil-A” Would Require Future NY Thruway Restaurants To Operate On Sundays
The Citizen reports, New York Senate Bill S7794, introduced earlier this month, would require all restaurants operating at New York State Thruway service plazas to stay open seven days a week. The bill’s sponsors “do not conceal the intended target of the legislation — Chick-fil-A,” the fast-food chain with a Sunday closing policy that’s intended to allow restaurant operators and employees “to rest and worship if they choose,” according to the chain’s website. Chick-fil-A outlets will operate at 10 of the Thruway’s 27 service plazas once a system-wide, P3 upgrade project is completed, and, it’s anticipated they will be closed on Sundays. Travelers visiting nine of the 10 locations will have other dining options available those days. When Applegreen-led Empire State Thruway Partners, the private entity upgrading the plazas, announced its plan to include Chick-fil-A in the restaurant lineup, some legislative objections were outweighed by customer demand. If S7794 is enacted, it would only apply to future contracts, so the 10 Chick-fil-As now planned could still close on Sundays.
Empire State Thruway Partners Iris Buyer LLC and Applegreen PLC Issues of Law New York New York State Thruway Authority Service PlazasThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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