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Pennsylvania Transportation Institute

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The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI), officially known as the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute or Larson Transportation Institute (LTI), was founded in 1968 in Pennsylvania , United States . It is a research unit of Penn State University 's College of Engineering located in a research complex on Penn State's University Park Campus. The institute was renamed in January 2008 in recognition of Thomas D. Larson , its first director and major benefactor.

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79-794: The predecessor of the PTI was the Transportation Studies Committee , formed at Penn State in 1966 to recognize a need to facilitate interdisciplinary studies and collaboration on transportation and infrastructure; the six members of the Committee included three professors who would go on to found the Pennsylvania Transportation and Traffic Safety Center on February 23, 1968: Tom Larson, civil engineering; Wolfgang Meyer , mechanical engineering; and Bob Pashek , business logistics. Professor Larson, serving as

158-444: A city or village and be named as streets , serving a dual function as urban space easement and route. The most common road vehicle is the automobile; a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor . Other users of roads include buses , trucks , motorcycles , bicycles , and pedestrians . As of 2010, there were 1.015 billion automobiles worldwide. Road transport offers complete freedom to road users to transfer

237-471: A pipe ; most commonly liquid and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes can also send solid capsules using compressed air. For liquids/gases, any chemically stable liquid or gas can be sent through a pipeline. Short-distance systems exist for sewage , slurry , water , and beer , while long-distance networks are used for petroleum and natural gas . Cable transport is a broad mode where vehicles are pulled by cables instead of an internal power source. It

316-648: A tragedy of the commons , where the flexibility and comfort for the individual deteriorate the natural and urban environment for all. Density of development depends on mode of transport, with public transport allowing for better spatial use. Good land use keeps common activities close to people's homes and places higher-density development closer to transport lines and hubs, to minimize the need for transport. There are economies of agglomeration . Beyond transport, some land uses are more efficient when clustered. Transport facilities consume land, and in cities pavement (devoted to streets and parking) can easily exceed 20 percent of

395-401: A DMV office in other states, are handled by a network of private businesses called "messenger services", which contract with the department. They operate by charging service fees on top of the fees that PennDOT charges. Some messenger services also have a limited ability to perform driver's license services, such as changing a driver's license address or renewing a driver's license, but not taking

474-490: A component for the creation of regulation policy by authorities. Transport engineering , a sub-discipline of civil engineering , must take into account trip generation , trip distribution , mode choice , and route assignment , while the operative level is handled through traffic engineering . Because of the negative impacts incurred, transport often becomes the subject of controversy related to choice of mode, as well as increased capacity. Automotive transport can be seen as

553-570: A consistent distance apart, or gauge . The rails and perpendicular beams are placed on a foundation made of concrete or compressed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast. Alternative methods include monorail and maglev . A train consists of one or more connected vehicles that operate on the rails. Propulsion is commonly provided by a locomotive , that hauls a series of unpowered cars, that can carry passengers or freight. The locomotive can be powered by steam , by diesel , or by electricity supplied by trackside systems . Alternatively, some or all

632-648: A great deal. PennDOT is organized into five deputates which oversee various transportation functions. The Highway Administration deputate oversees 39,737 miles (63,951 km) of roadway and 25,400 bridges in Pennsylvania which comprise the Pennsylvania State Route System . The deputate is made up of over 9,300 employees in design, construction, maintenance, materials testing, environmental review, safety, and traffic engineering. There are eleven engineering districts located throughout

711-422: A great impact on the land, and transport is the largest drainer of energy, making transport sustainability a major issue. Due to the way modern cities and communities are planned and operated, a physical distinction between home and work is usually created, forcing people to transport themselves to places of work, study, or leisure, as well as to temporarily relocate for other daily activities. Passenger transport

790-655: A partnership in 1993, which led to the establishment of the Northeast Superpave Center in 1995, which has since been renamed the Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT). The Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Center was established in 1999 to focus on alternative energy storage systems, including the Air Products Hydrogen Fueling Station (installed in 2005). In addition,

869-565: A program to quadruple state funding for bridge repairs. Across the United States, 61,000 bridges are deemed "structurally deficient", which means they need repairs, contain a piece rated as "poor," and might also have a weight limit. The term structurally deficient does not mean a bridge is unsafe for travel. In Pennsylvania, eight of the top ten most traveled structurally deficient bridges are in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania has

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948-417: A replacement for a lost drivers license. In addition to this, the department also operates "Photo License Centers" which solely take photographs for drivers licenses. There are 75 Drivers and Photo License Centers and 26 Photo License Centers operated by PennDOT. Transactions relating to motor vehicles, such as vehicle title transfers or replacing a lost registration plate , which would typically be handled by

1027-701: A roadway, a terminal, and facilities for parking and maintenance. For rail, pipeline, road, and cable transport, the entire way the vehicle travels must be constructed. Air and watercraft are able to avoid this, since the airway and seaway do not need to be constructed. However, they require fixed infrastructure at terminals. Terminals such as airports, ports, and stations, are locations where passengers and freight can be transferred from one vehicle or mode to another. For passenger transport, terminals are integrating different modes to allow riders, who are interchanging between modes, to take advantage of each mode's benefits. For instance, airport rail links connect airports to

1106-460: A slightly refined type of petroleum called bunker fuel . Some ships, such as submarines , use nuclear power to produce the steam. Recreational or educational craft still use wind power, while some smaller craft use internal combustion engines to drive one or more propellers or, in the case of jet boats, an inboard water jet. In shallow draft areas, hovercraft are propelled by large pusher-prop fans. (See Marine propulsion .) Although it

1185-412: Is a key in the value chain in manufacturing. With increased specialization and globalization , production is being located further away from consumption, rapidly increasing the demand for transport. Transport creates place utility by moving the goods from the place of production to the place of consumption. While all modes of transport are used for cargo transport, there is high differentiation between

1264-406: Is a key necessity for specialization —allowing production and consumption of products to occur at different locations. Throughout history, transport has been a spur to expansion; better transport allows more trade and a greater spread of people. Economic growth has always been dependent on increasing the capacity and rationality of transport. But the infrastructure and operation of transport have

1343-424: Is a solution that makes use of a certain type of vehicle, infrastructure, and operation. The transport of a person or of cargo may involve one mode or several of the modes, with the latter case being called inter-modal or multi-modal transport. Each mode has its own advantages and disadvantages, and will be chosen on the basis of cost, capability, and route. Governments deal with the way the vehicles are operated, and

1422-453: Is able to quickly transport people and limited amounts of cargo over longer distances, but incurs high costs and energy use; for short distances or in inaccessible places, helicopters can be used. As of April 28, 2009, The Guardian article notes that "the WHO estimates that up to 500,000 people are on planes at any time." Land transport covers all land-based transport systems that provide for

1501-407: Is also in charge of Pennsylvania Welcome Centers located along major highways entering the state. According to a 2011 study by Transportation for America , 26.5% of Pennsylvania's bridges were structurally deficient and the state led the United States with six metropolitan areas with a high percentage of deficient bridges. These figures would have been higher, but the state had recently undertaken

1580-579: Is also in charge of the cash flow from the federal and state governments to fund improvement projects along with working on long-range research and map making. The Multimodal Transportation deputate oversees aviation , rail freight transport , public transportation , ports , and pedestrian and bicycle transportation. The deputate oversees airports in Pennsylvania , which includes 127 public airports, 243 private airports, and 280 private heliports. Multimodal Transportation also looks over 65 railroads which operate over 5,600 miles (9,000 km) of track in

1659-406: Is also the essence of tourism , a major part of recreational transport. Commerce requires the transport of people to conduct business, either to allow face-to-face communication for important decisions or to move specialists from their regular place of work to sites where they are needed. In lean thinking , transporting materials or work in process from one location to another is seen as one of

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1738-405: Is by airline, it amounts to forty percent of the value. Time has become especially important in regards to principles such as postponement and just-in-time within the value chain, resulting in a high willingness to pay for quick delivery of key components or items of high value-to-weight ratio. In addition to mail, common items sent by air include electronics and fashion clothing. Transport

1817-427: Is common to watercraft, making the hull a dominant aspect of its construction, maintenance, and appearance. In the 19th century, the first steam ships were developed, using a steam engine to drive a paddle wheel or propeller to move the ship. The steam was produced in a boiler using wood or coal and fed through a steam external combustion engine . Now most ships have an internal combustion engine using

1896-597: Is directly south of the track and field facility. Section 317 of the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 (STURAA) established a new requirement to test transit buses before releasing federal funds to assist with the purchase, starting in 1989; this rule was subsequently modified by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. Additional changes established

1975-2205: Is divided into engineering districts to localize engineering and maintenance. The following is a table of the districts and their associated headquarters. The statewide headquarters for PennDOT is located in the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg . Erie County Forest County Mercer County Venango County Warren County Centre County Clearfield County Clinton County Elk County Juniata County McKean County Mifflin County Potter County Lycoming County Montour County Northumberland County Snyder County Sullivan County Tioga County Union County Lehigh County Monroe County Northampton County Schuylkill County Delaware County Montgomery County City and County of Philadelphia Dauphin County Franklin County Lancaster County Lebanon County Perry County York County Blair County Cambria County Fulton County Huntingdon County Somerset County Butler County Clarion County Indiana County Jefferson County Beaver County Lawrence County Greene County Washington County Westmoreland County PennDOT has received criticism over

2054-407: Is dominated by the automobile and mass transit. The latter consists of buses in rural and small cities, supplemented with commuter rail, trams, and rapid transit in larger cities. Long-haul transport involves the use of the automobile, trains, coaches , and aircraft, the last of which have become predominantly used for the longest, including intercontinental, travel. Intermodal passenger transport

2133-411: Is essential for the development of civilizations . Transport infrastructure consists of both fixed installations, including roads , railways , airways , waterways , canals , and pipelines , and terminals such as airports , railway stations , bus stations , warehouses , trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fuel docks and fuel stations ), and seaports . Terminals may be used both for

2212-409: Is frequently a benefits shortfall for transport infrastructure projects. Animals used in transportation include pack animals and riding animals . A vehicle is a non-living device that is used to move people and goods. Unlike the infrastructure, the vehicle moves along with the cargo and riders. Unless being pulled/pushed by a cable or muscle-power, the vehicle must provide its own propulsion; this

2291-475: Is most commonly done through a steam engine , combustion engine , electric motor , jet engine , or rocket , though other means of propulsion also exist. Vehicles also need a system of converting the energy into movement; this is most commonly done through wheels , propellers , and pressure . Vehicles are most commonly staffed by a driver . However, some systems, such as people movers and some rapid transits, are fully automated . For passenger transport,

2370-611: Is most commonly used at steep gradient . Typical solutions include aerial tramways , elevators , and ski lifts ; some of these are also categorized as conveyor transport. Spaceflight is transport outside Earth's atmosphere by means of a spacecraft . It is most frequently used for satellites placed in Earth orbit. However, human spaceflight mission have landed on the Moon and are occasionally used to rotate crew-members to space stations . Uncrewed spacecraft have also been sent to all

2449-411: Is only subject to the owner of the vehicle, who operates the vehicle themselves. For public transport and freight transport, operations are done through private enterprise or by governments . The infrastructure and vehicles may be owned and operated by the same company, or they may be operated by different entities. Traditionally, many countries have had a national airline and national railway . Since

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2528-729: Is performed by high-capacity tramways and rapid transits , often making up the backbone of a city's public transport. Freight trains traditionally used box cars , requiring manual loading and unloading of the cargo . Since the 1960s, container trains have become the dominant solution for general freight, while large quantities of bulk are transported by dedicated trains. A road is an identifiable route , way, or path between two or more places . Roads are typically smoothed, paved , or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel; though they need not be, and historically many roads were simply recognizable routes without any formal construction or maintenance . In urban areas , roads may pass through

2607-440: Is slow compared to other transport, modern sea transport is a highly efficient method of transporting large quantities of goods. Commercial vessels , nearly 35,000 in number, carried 7.4 billion tons of cargo in 2007. Transport by water is significantly less costly than air transport for transcontinental shipping ; short sea shipping and ferries remain viable in coastal areas. Pipeline transport sends goods through

2686-455: Is used for large volumes of durable items. Transport plays an important part in economic growth and globalization , but most types cause air pollution and use large amounts of land . While it is heavily subsidized by governments, good planning of transport is essential to make traffic flow and restrain urban sprawl . Human-powered transport, a form of sustainable transport , is the transport of people or goods using human muscle-power, in

2765-439: Is where a journey is performed through the use of several modes of transport; since all human transport normally starts and ends with walking, all passenger transport can be considered intermodal. Public transport may also involve the intermediate change of vehicle, within or across modes, at a transport hub , such as a bus or railway station . Taxis and buses can be found on both ends of the public transport spectrum. Buses are

2844-792: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll . PennDOT supports nearly 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of state roads and highways, about 25,000 bridges, and new roadway construction with the exception of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission . Other modes of transportation supervised or supported by PennDOT include aviation , rail traffic , mass transit , intrastate highway shipping traffic, motor vehicle safety and licensing, and driver licensing . PennDOT supports

2923-501: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission , conceptual planning for the Pennsylvania Safety Transportation and Research Track (PennSTART) project was completed in 2018, at a site yet to be identified close to Penn State. The new high-speed closed test track is anticipated to be operated by LTI. PennDOT The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ( PennDOT ) oversees transportation issues in

3002-491: The 1980s, many of these have been privatized . International shipping remains a highly competitive industry with little regulation, but ports can be public-owned. As the population of the world increases, cities grow in size and population—according to the United Nations, 55% of the world's population live in cities, and by 2050 this number is expected to rise to 68%. Public transport policy must evolve to meet

3081-626: The Center be, in fact, a Center rather than simply an office for the administration of contracts. The philosophy of the University and the inclination of the staff appear to support this kind of development." Early projects at PTTSC included the Pavement Durability Research Facility (construction started 1971) and a prestressed concrete bridge, which was built and tested to failure between 1971 and 1974. In 1974,

3160-523: The PTTSC's first director, stated a vision for the organization in the April 1969 Status Report: "A major goal for the future and within the basic objectives of the Center is the evolution of an organization and method of operation compatible with the academic goals of this University and still comparable in terms of efficiency and creativeness with commercial research groups. Among other things, this requires that

3239-876: The Penn State College of Engineering acquired space for what is now the Civil Infrastructure Testing and Evaluation Laboratory (CITEL) in 2003. In 2008, the PTI was renamed to the Larson Transportation Institute by the Penn State Board of Trustees, recognizing Larson's contributions. The institute consists of: Most of the LTI research and program administration are located on the main campus in University Park. The Transportation Research Building

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3318-573: The Ports of Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , and Erie . The department's current budget is approximately $ 3.8 billion in federal and state funds. The state budget is supported by motor vehicle fuel taxes, which are dedicated solely to transportation-related state expenditures. In recent years, PennDOT has focused on intermodal transportation , which is an attempt to enhance commerce and public transportation. PennDOT employs approximately 11,000 people. PennDOT has extensive traffic cameras set up throughout

3397-420: The air generates lift. A gyroplane is both fixed-wing and rotary wing. Fixed-wing aircraft range from small trainers and recreational aircraft to large airliners and military cargo aircraft. Two things necessary for aircraft are air flow over the wings for lift and an area for landing . The majority of aircraft also need an airport with the infrastructure for maintenance, restocking, and refueling and for

3476-424: The animals directly, use them as pack animals for carrying goods, or harness them, alone or in teams , to pull sleds or wheeled vehicles . A fixed-wing aircraft , commonly called an airplane, is a heavier-than-air craft where movement of the air in relation to the wings is used to generate lift. The term is used to distinguish this from rotary-wing aircraft , where the movement of the lift surfaces relative to

3555-638: The associated photo. An exception to this method of operation is at the PennDOT headquarters in Harrisburg , which has a large room for all motor vehicle transactions and drivers' license transactions, with a separate room for photographing and issuing licenses to motorists. The Planning deputate develops the Twelve Year Transportation Program in collaboration with the federal government and local planning organizations, which guides improvements to transportation in Pennsylvania. It

3634-597: The cars can be powered, known as a multiple unit . Also, a train can be powered by horses , cables , gravity , pneumatics , and gas turbines . Railed vehicles move with much less friction than rubber tires on paved roads, making trains more energy efficient , though not as efficient as ships. Intercity trains are long-haul services connecting cities; modern high-speed rail is capable of speeds up to 350 km/h (220 mph), but this requires specially built track. Regional and commuter trains feed cities from suburbs and surrounding areas, while intra-urban transport

3713-673: The center was renamed to the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. PTI entered a partnership with PennDOT in 1983 to form the Local Technical Assistance Program. The Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center (MAUTC) was established in 1987, followed by the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center (BRTC) in 1989. BRTC tests all transit buses before their commercial availability. MAUTC and PennDOT entered

3792-444: The changing priorities of the urban world. The institution of policy enforces order in transport, which is by nature chaotic as people attempt to travel from one place to another as fast as possible. This policy helps to reduce accidents and save lives. Relocation of travelers and cargo are the most common uses of transport. However, other uses exist, such as the strategic and tactical relocation of armed forces during warfare , or

3871-481: The cheapest mode of transport but are not necessarily flexible, and taxis are very flexible but more expensive. In the middle is demand-responsive transport , offering flexibility whilst remaining affordable. International travel may be restricted for some individuals due to legislation and visa requirements. An ambulance is a vehicle used to transport people from or between places of treatment, and in some instances will also provide out-of-hospital medical care to

3950-414: The city centres and suburbs. The terminals for automobiles are parking lots , while buses and coaches can operate from simple stops. For freight, terminals act as transshipment points, though some cargo is transported directly from the point of production to the point of use. The financing of infrastructure can either be public or private . Transport is often a natural monopoly and a necessity for

4029-481: The civilian mobility construction or emergency equipment. Passenger transport, or travel, is divided into public and private transport . Public transport is scheduled services on fixed routes, while private is vehicles that provide ad hoc services at the riders desire. The latter offers better flexibility, but has lower capacity and a higher environmental impact. Travel may be as part of daily commuting or for business , leisure, or migration . Short-haul transport

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4108-432: The form of walking , running , and swimming . Modern technology has allowed machines to enhance human power. Human-powered transport remains popular for reasons of cost-saving, leisure , physical exercise , and environmentalism ; it is sometimes the only type available, especially in underdeveloped or inaccessible regions. Although humans are able to walk without infrastructure, the transport can be enhanced through

4187-568: The highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the U.S. Overall, the state has 25,000 bridges excluding privately owned bridges, which is the third-largest number of bridges in the U.S. Pennsylvania has launched a program called the Rapid Bridge Replacement project to increase the number of bridges it fixes. The project is a public-private partnership between PennDOT and the private firm Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners. The project fixed almost 700 bridges in 2014. PennDOT

4266-402: The interchange of passengers and cargo and for maintenance. Means of transport are any of the different kinds of transport facilities used to carry people or cargo. They may include vehicles, riding animals , and pack animals . Vehicles may include wagons , automobiles , bicycles , buses , trains , trucks , helicopters , watercraft , spacecraft , and aircraft . A mode of transport

4345-760: The key driving factors in international trade and globalization since the 1950s. Bulk transport is common with cargo that can be handled roughly without deterioration; typical examples are ore , coal, cereals , and petroleum . Because of the uniformity of the product, mechanical handling can allow enormous quantities to be handled quickly and efficiently. The low value of the cargo combined with high volume also means that economies of scale become essential in transport, and gigantic ships and whole trains are commonly used to transport bulk. Liquid products with sufficient volume may also be transported by pipeline. Air freight has become more common for products of high value; while less than one percent of world transport by volume

4424-413: The key element in determining the size of the state's roadbuilding programs. State payments to local communities for road maintenance also have continued to expand so that they average approximately $ 170 million annually. The agency went into well-noted organizational decline. An effort to bring quality management principles to PennDOT over an extended period—four changes of state governor—accomplished

4503-414: The loading and unloading of crew, cargo, and passengers. While the vast majority of aircraft land and take off on land, some are capable of take-off and landing on ice, snow, and calm water. The aircraft is the second fastest method of transport, after the rocket . Commercial jets can reach up to 955 kilometres per hour (593 mph), single-engine aircraft 555 kilometres per hour (345 mph). Aviation

4582-431: The main source of harmful noise and air pollution in cities; buses allow for more efficient travel at the cost of reduced flexibility. Road transport by truck is often the initial and final stage of freight transport. Water transport is movement by means of a watercraft —such as a barge , boat , ship , or sailboat —over a body of water, such as a sea , ocean , lake , canal , or river . The need for buoyancy

4661-431: The movement of people, goods, and services. Land transport plays a vital role in linking communities to each other. Land transport is a key factor in urban planning . It consists of two kinds, rail and road. Rail transport is where a train runs along a set of two parallel steel rails, known as a railway or railroad. The rails are anchored perpendicular to ties (or sleepers) of timber, concrete, or steel, to maintain

4740-408: The nature of the cargo transport, in which mode is chosen. Logistics refers to the entire process of transferring products from producer to consumer, including storage, transport, transshipment, warehousing, material-handling, and packaging, with associated exchange of information. Incoterm deals with the handling of payment and responsibility of risk during transport. Containerization , with

4819-600: The patient. The word is often associated with road-going "emergency ambulances", which form part of emergency medical services , administering emergency care to those with acute medical problems. Air medical services is a comprehensive term covering the use of air transport to move patients to and from healthcare facilities and accident scenes. Personnel provide comprehensive prehospital and emergency and critical care to all types of patients during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations, aboard helicopters, propeller aircraft, or jet aircraft. Freight transport, or shipping,

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4898-496: The planets of the Solar System. Suborbital spaceflight is the fastest of the existing and planned transport systems from a place on Earth to a distant "other place" on Earth. Faster transport could be achieved through part of a low Earth orbit or by following that trajectory even faster, using the propulsion of the rocket to steer it. Infrastructure is the fixed installations that allow a vehicle to operate. It consists of

4977-403: The procedures set for this purpose, including financing, legalities, and policies. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode. Passenger transport may be public , where operators provide scheduled services, or private . Freight transport has become focused on containerization , although bulk transport

5056-476: The public; roads, and in some countries railways and airports, are funded through taxation . New infrastructure projects can have high costs and are often financed through debt . Many infrastructure owners, therefore, impose usage fees, such as landing fees at airports or toll plazas on roads. Independent of this, authorities may impose taxes on the purchase or use of vehicles. Because of poor forecasting and overestimation of passenger numbers by planners, there

5135-574: The service life categories for transit buses in 1993; these included heavy-duty large buses (12 years or 500,000 mi (800,000 km), 35–40 ft (11–12 m) long and articulated buses ) and heavy-duty small buses (10 years or 350,000 mi (560,000 km), approximately 30 ft (9.1 m) long) as well as lighter-duty vehicles. The federally-mandated testing of transit buses at BRTC includes multiple criteria for evaluation, including safety, structural integrity, durability, performance, maintainability, noise, fuel economy, and emissions. BRTC

5214-438: The seven wastes (Japanese term: muda ) which do not add value to a product. Transport planning allows for high use and less impact regarding new infrastructure. Using models of transport forecasting , planners are able to predict future transport patterns. On the operative level, logistics allows owners of cargo to plan transport as part of the supply chain . Transport as a field is also studied through transport economics ,

5293-462: The sole expense of the state. It controls more than 41,000 miles (66,000 km) of roadway. Townships control approximately 51,376 miles (82,682 km) of roads and streets; boroughs, 9,460 miles (15,220 km) and cities 6,779 miles (10,910 km). In all, there are more than 118,226 miles (190,266 km) of public roads, streets and toll roads in the Commonwealth. Greatest growth in

5372-463: The standardization of ISO containers on all vehicles and at all ports, has revolutionized international and domestic trade , offering a huge reduction in transshipment costs. Traditionally, all cargo had to be manually loaded and unloaded into the haul of any ship or car; containerization allows for automated handling and transfer between modes, and the standardized sizes allow for gains in economy of scale in vehicle operation. This has been one of

5451-534: The state highway system occurred in 1931 when 20,156 miles (32,438 km) of rural roads were taken over by the Commonwealth. At that time, the Department of Highways, at the direction of Governor Gifford Pinchot , embarked upon an extensive program of paving rural roadways, well known as the "get the farmer out of the mud" program. The Federal Government in 1916 instituted grants to the states for highway construction. These grants continue today and now comprise

5530-439: The state's major cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown , Erie, Wilkes-Barre , Scranton , and the state capital of Harrisburg , In Wilkes-Barre, cameras are fed through to a television channel for Service Electric cable customers in the city and its suburbs. Unlike speed cameras , these cameras are primarily installed for ITS purposes, and not for law enforcement. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

5609-541: The state. PennDOT is responsible for motor vehicle titles and registration, along with issuing driver licenses through the Driver & Vehicle Services deputate. Somewhat uniquely, PennDOT does not operate typical DMV offices, such as those that exist in other states. Rather, they operate "Driver and Photo License Centers", for full service regarding drivers licenses. This includes activities like taking driver's tests, getting driver's license photographs taken, or requesting

5688-410: The state. The administration deputate is charged with managing various bureaus that overee fiscal management, computer systems, mobile applications, telecommunications, contract compliance, training, employee safety, human resources, office services, facilities management, quality improvements, partnerships with other government agencies and communities, and employees engagement activities. The deputate

5767-996: The state. PennDOT oversees bicycle routes across the state, including the state-designated BicyclePA bicycle routes and the portions of the federally-designated United States Bicycle Route System located within Pennsylvania. PennDOT provides the primary funding for two Amtrak trains in Pennsylvania that operate along the Keystone Corridor . The Keystone Service runs between Harrisburg and New York City via Philadelphia and offers multiple daily departures. The Pennsylvanian runs between Pittsburgh and New York City via Philadelphia and operates once daily in each direction. The Mulitmodal Transportation deputate supports public transit authorities in Pennsylvania , which consists of 34 agencies providing fixed-route and demand responsive transport to urban and rural areas and 18 agencies providing demand responsive transport only. The deputate also supports intercity bus service in

5846-433: The use of roads, especially when using the human power with vehicles, such as bicycles and inline skates . Human-powered vehicles have also been developed for difficult environments, such as snow and water, by watercraft rowing and skiing ; even the air can be entered with human-powered aircraft . Animal-powered transport is the use of working animals for the movement of people and commodities. Humans may ride some of

5925-408: The vehicle from one lane to the other and from one road to another according to the need and convenience. This flexibility of changes in location, direction, speed, and timings of travel is not available to other modes of transport. It is possible to provide door-to-door service only by road transport. Automobiles provide high flexibility with low capacity, but require high energy and area use, and are

6004-656: The vehicle must have a compartment, seat, or platform for the passengers. Simple vehicles, such as automobiles, bicycles, or simple aircraft, may have one of the passengers as a driver. Recently, the progress related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought a lot of new emerging technologies for transportation and automotive fields such as Connected Vehicles and Autonomous Driving. These innovations are said to form future mobility, but concerns remain on safety and cybersecurity, particularly concerning connected and autonomous mobility. Private transport

6083-777: The years regarding the quality of the roads in the Commonwealth, as Pennsylvania has previously ranked among the worst maintained road systems in the United States . Transport Transport (in British English ) or transportation (in American English ) is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air , land ( rail and road ), water , cable , pipelines , and space . The field can be divided into infrastructure , vehicles , and operations . Transport enables human trade , which

6162-680: Was awarded ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by A2LA in 2011. The administrative and garage / maintenance facilities of BRTC are on Plank Road in Duncansville , and road testing is conducted at the LTI Test Track in Bellefonte , near the University Park Airport . The Test Track includes a 1 mi (1.6 km) oval, vehicle handling area, and vehicle durability testing course. In collaboration with PennDOT and

6241-470: Was created from the former Department of Highways by Act 120, approved by the legislature on May 6, 1970. The intent of the legislation was to consolidate transportation-related functions formerly performed in the Departments of Commerce, Revenue, Community Affairs, Forests and Waters, Military Affairs and other state agencies. PennDOT is responsible for constructing and maintaining a system of roads at

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