Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Wins Awards for Excellence from International Association
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Wins Awards for Excellence from International Association
IBTTA recognizes the organization’s superlative focus on safety and social responsibility.
Harrisburg, PA – During its fall annual meeting, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) awarded the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission two Toll Excellence Awards. One for Safety and one for Social Responsibility. IBTTA’s Toll Excellence Awards recognize the very best projects and programs across the international tolling industry. Each year, IBTTA recognizes toll operators whose creative, innovative, and positive programs set a new standard of excellence.
“On behalf of the Commission, our Board and hundreds of dedicated employees we are honored and proud to receive this recognition, “said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Safety is job number one at the Turnpike. Every day we focus on the safety of our customers and our employees, especially the men and women who maintain our 565 miles of roadways, bridges and tunnels.
“As a forward-looking agency, sustainability is also key to our success. Through our “Responsibility Matters” initiative whether offering water bottle refilling stations at service plazas, implementing All-Electronic Tolling to create better traffic flow thereby cutting emissions, installing 500 miles of Fiber Optics to increase connectivity across our system while providing 2.6 million Pennsylvanians broadband access, installing solar and natural gas-powered microgrids or working with communities such as our Sideling Hill Trailhead project that will connect tunnels and bike trails, provide EV charging stations, picnic areas, expanded parking for truckers and customers -- all providing our Commonwealth with a brighter, cleaner more sustainable future.”
In the category of Safety, the PA Turnpike won for their Roadway Debris Removal Device.
Fallen debris on roadways poses a threat to both drivers and employees tasked with removal. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission employees clear, on average, more than 7,000 roadway obstructions each year across the 565-mile roadway system. Although the agency has had no fatalities while clearing roadway debris, the agency's Risk Management Group determined a high correlation between strain and sprain injuries from employees removing debris, such as dragging deer carcasses or tires. As a result, the Commission sought a solution to increase safety and decrease employee injuries.
LaneBlade is a collaboration between the Turnpike and J-Tech Industries that solves the problem of having employees remove roadway debris by hand while dodging heavy traffic and creating hazardous situations. LaneBlade was born out of a challenge for the agency's Maintenance Department to find a suitable roadway debris-clearing solution on the market or create one. The intent was to find or develop a system to keep the operator in the vehicle protected at a minimum by its safety features and warning equipment rather than continuing to work as human versus machine. After several years in the pilot phase, in 2022, the Turnpike deployed 12 state-of-the-art LaneBlade road debris removal systems, and another 12 were purchased in 2023. LaneBlade delivers a cost-effective way to safely remove debris from the roadway, minimizing the impact on traffic flow. You can view a video here.
In the category of Social Responsibility, the PA Turnpike won for their Sustainability Program.
“Responsibility Matters" is the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's (PTC) ongoing initiative to deliver on its core value of infusing "diversity, integrity, and sustainability in all our practices." With a 30-year commitment to sustainable best practices, the Turnpike aims to become America's First Sustainable Superhighway by 2040. To get there, the Turnpike employee-led Sustainability Committee evaluates all transportation projects and business processes to help the agency reach its goal.
The Turnpike formally adopted the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, identifying 17 key areas, including infrastructure, affordable and clean energy, sustainable communities, responsible production and consumption and climate action. PTC incorporates these goals into all its decisions and operations.
For more information on the PA Turnpike’s Sustainability efforts click here: 2022-ptc-sustainability-report.pdf (paturnpike.com)
For more information on the PA Turnpike’s safety efforts click here: Travel Safety | PA Turnpike
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Media Contacts:
Kelli Roberts: 717.831.7093, kroberts@paturnpike.com
Rosanne Placey: 717.675.4362, rplacey@paturnpike.com
Kathleen Walter: 267.326.3856, kwalter@paturnpike.com
Crispin Havener: 717.870.2841, chavener@paturnpike.com