Committee advances bill to designate Allegheny River Boulevard a scenic byway

The Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee on Tuesday voted to report House Bill 1967, a proposal to designate part of State Route 130 — commonly called Allegheny River Boulevard — as a scenic byway, moving the measure out of committee.

The bill, introduced for Representative Joe McAndrew, directs PennDOT to identify the route on public travel and tourism maps and would impose limits on erecting outdoor advertising devices along the corridor while preserving existing, official and legally required signage, property-sale signs and directional signs. Committee staff summarized the measure's route as beginning in the city of Pittsburgh and passing through Penn Hills, Verona and Oakmont.

Representative Joe McAndrew, the prime sponsor, described the corridor as "a beautiful corridor that's just, kind of fallen into neglect" and said scenic designation would allow reinvestment and help make the roadway "a spot that people can be proud to drive through." He told the committee he had met with the owner of the nearby railroad, Carlet Express, and said the owner supports the bill's restrictions on new billboard-style advertising.

Committee members held no extended debate on the measure. After the staff and sponsor remarks, the committee took a roll-call vote; the chair announced "the ayes have it" and that the bill will be reported out of committee.

The bill's text also enumerates exceptions to the advertising restriction, including existing signs, official signs and directional notices; those exceptions were read into the record by staff during the summary. The committee did not adopt amendments to this bill during the hearing.