Erie County TAC recommends advancing SR 5 project, approves EMTA targets and transit funding edits

At a meeting of the Erie County Transportation Advisory Committee, members voted to recommend a pair of amendments to the Transportation Improvement Program that would advance State Route 5 (project 117481) and reallocate federal funds among other highway projects, and they approved transit funding adjustments and EMTA’s 2025 transit asset-management targets.

The committee recommended advancing SR 5 — listed in the packet as project 117481 — into the TIP using federal NHPP/NHPT funds and deferring a set of other highway projects by a few years to free capacity. Courtney (staff member), who presented the draft amendments, told the committee that design work originally planned to start this year will slip and construction is now expected in 2027 rather than 2026.

The recommendation to move the SR 5 project and make related financial-constraint adjustments passed on a voice vote and will be forwarded to the coordinating committee for final action. Because coordinating-committee chair Tim May was absent, committee members authorized Mark (vice chair of the coordinating committee) to approve an electronic ballot to expedite the item before the next coordinating-committee meeting.

PennDOT staff member Julia Cornell described separate administrative modifications: an increase to the SR 832 (U.S. 20 to Presque Isle State Park) project to cover signal upgrades ($793,000 federal CRP funds and $443,400 federal CRPU funds added in 2027) and an adjustment to a transit project to help EMTA purchase replacement paratransit buses. The transit adjustment added $416,816 in federal 5310 funds and $126,821 in state 341 funds in 2025 and removed $5,742 in local funds from that project.

Committee members also voted to adopt EMTA’s 2025 transit asset-management targets intended to track state of good repair and fleet replacement needs. The motion to accept the targets passed on a voice vote.

Julia Cornell also told the committee that federal agencies are reviewing recent executive orders that affect some federal programs. According to PennDOT’s update, authorizations and amendments remain on hold for discretionary grants, federal earmarks and projects involving EV charging; the NEVI program currently has a pause on new obligations and authorizations but existing contracts may still be paid. PennDOT and FHWA are monitoring the situation; the community charging outreach deadline was extended to July 31 while details remain under review.

Public commenters urged faster progress on EMTA planning and safer, year-round pedestrian infrastructure. A resident who spoke during the public-comment portion said a service plan for EMTA has been delayed and asked the MPO to press on consultant contracts, and advocated for more accessible pedestrian signals (APS) on city streets such as Eighteenth Street and on school routes such as the project identified as 121506. The resident also asked why the Pittsburgh Avenue project (120537) had been deferred and urged attention to blocked or uncleared sidewalks in winter.

EMTA reported progress on vehicle procurement and facilities: Danny (EMTA representative) said a retail/transfer space beneath the parking garage is nearly finished and that EMTA has 13 buses on order (including seven larger “Lyft Fair Transit” vehicles; two have been received so far), plus three 40-foot buses and three trolley-style vehicles to replace aging units.

What’s next: The committee’s TIP recommendation will be sent to the coordinating committee for approval; because the chair was absent, the vice chair authorized an e-ballot to speed consideration. PennDOT said it will circulate program-level updates as federal guidance on discretionary and EV-related funding becomes available.