Harrisburg Area Transportation Study

Harrisburg Area Transportation Study
Name	Harrisburg Area Transportation Study
Type	Metropolitan planning organization
Formed	1964
Headquarters	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Region served	Dauphin County; Cumberland County; Perry County; parts of York County; Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area
Leader title	Executive Director
Parent organization	Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

Harrisburg Area Transportation Study. The Harrisburg Area Transportation Study is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization serving the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan area and coordinating regional transportation planning, project prioritization, and federal funding allocation. It integrates regional stakeholders including municipal governments, county authorities, transit operators, port and airport officials, and state agencies to develop long-range plans, transportation improvement programs, and performance-based planning documents.

Overview and Purpose

The organization performs cooperative planning for roads, bridges, transit, freight, Interstate 81, Interstate 83, U.S. Route 22, and multimodal facilities in the region. Its purpose aligns with federal statutes such as the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act while coordinating with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Capital Area Transit, and regional stakeholders. The planning process informs the Transportation Improvement Program, Long Range Transportation Plan, and air quality conformity analyses required under the Clean Air Act for the Harrisburg International Airport and Port of Harrisburg service areas.

Governance and Organizational Structure

The policy board comprises elected officials from member counties including representatives from Dauphin County, Cumberland County, Perry County, and municipalities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Voting members include county commissioners, city council members, and appointed representatives from authorities like the Harrisburg Authority and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission participates as a stakeholder. Technical committees involve planners from the Metropolitan Planning Organization staff, transportation engineers from the Federal Highway Administration, grant managers from the Federal Transit Administration, and state liaisons from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and Pennsylvania State Police for traffic incident management coordination.

Planning Process and Documents

Core documents include the Long Range Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, and performance-based planning reports tied to national goals from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The organization produces corridor studies, environmental documents coordinated with the Environmental Protection Agency, and freight plans integrating the Conrail network and regional rail assets like Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation. Public involvement processes draw input from municipal comprehensive plans from Lower Paxton Township, Swatara Township, and bicycle and pedestrian plans developed with advocacy groups such as Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and America Walks.

Transportation Modes and Services

Mode coverage spans highway, transit, freight rail, intercity bus, paratransit, bicycle, pedestrian, air, and waterborne freight linking to the Port of Baltimore and inland navigation on the Susquehanna River. Transit coordination includes services by Capital Area Transit, commuter connections to SEPTA Regional Rail at transfer points, intercity bus carriers like Greyhound Lines, and paratransit providers under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Airport surface access planning connects to Harrisburg International Airport and regional general aviation facilities, while freight planning engages terminals operated by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Funding and Budget

Funding streams include federal formula grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, state allocations from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and local match contributions from county budgets. Competitive grant programs such as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant Program have been targeted for major corridor projects, with additional support through Transportation Alternatives Program funds and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program allocations for emissions reduction measures. Financial coordination involves the Office of Management and Budget guidelines and audit oversight by the Pennsylvania Auditor General.

Projects and Implementation

Major implemented projects coordinated through the organization include corridor reconstructions on U.S. Route 322, interchange improvements on Interstate 81, bridge replacements over the Susquehanna River, and transit facility upgrades at the Harrisburg Transportation Center. Freight improvement initiatives have partnered with Port of Harrisburg operators and short-line carriers such as the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad. Active roadway safety programs incorporate countermeasures promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and signal timing upgrades interfacing with municipal traffic signal systems in boroughs like Camp Hill, Pennsylvania and townships like Lower Allen Township.

Performance, Challenges, and Future Plans

Performance monitoring uses targets set under the national MAP-21 performance measures and successor federal guidance to track pavement condition, bridge health, transit reliability, and congestion metrics on corridors including Interstate 83 and U.S. Route 11. Challenges include addressing freight bottlenecks linked to rail network constraints by Norfolk Southern Railway, improving east–west connectivity across the Susquehanna River, securing funding for climate resilience measures related to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission recommendations, and integrating emerging mobility services such as microtransit and electric vehicle charging networks promoted by the Department of Energy. Future plans emphasize multimodal investments, resilience planning coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and regional coordination with adjacent planning organizations in the Lehigh Valley and York County Planning Commission to support sustainable growth and accessibility.

Category:Metropolitan planning organizations in Pennsylvania