Penndot'S Response To Covid-19: Area Command

PennDOT took unprecedented measures in response to COVID-19, including closing offices and facilities, transitioning to remote operations, and enacting its incident command structure. It extended expiration dates, ensured online transactions remained available, and is addressing essential functions. Starting in May, some driver license centers reopened in yellow phase counties with safety protocols. Nearly all construction projects restarted in early May following safety plans. Traffic management centers transitioned to remote operations. Rest areas and welcome centers reopened with additional cleaning. Transit agencies enacted safety procedures while continuing critical services.

Uploaded by

mattloyalty

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

0% found this document useful (0 votes)

58 views3 pages

Penndot'S Response To Covid-19: Area Command

Uploaded by

mattloyalty

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 3

Updated July 8, 2020

PennDOT’s Response to COVID-19

COVID-19 has led all of us – both as people and as organizations – to take unprecedented measures and
precautions. As per Governor Wolf’s directive, every action we have taken is aimed at mitigating the
virus’s spread to protect citizens, employees, and business partners alike. We would rather err on the
side of caution and adjust as needed than wish we had taken certain measures.

Within a matter of days, PennDOT closed buildings and offices across the state and successfully
transferred essential functions – including traffic management and executive leadership – to remote
operations. Maintenance teams are engaged statewide to ensure our roads are kept safe and passable,
and our crews remain available for responding to weather events.

This is a challenging time that has called for quick, decisive action with the goal of mitigating COVID-19’s
spread. We understand the impacts and frustration that result from some of our actions. Please know
that we are constantly evaluating how we are moving forward and will continue to convey decisions that
impact the public. We appreciate your patience and strongly urge you to follow federal and state
guidance to not travel unless you must, and to take every personal precaution to tackle this challenge.
We are all in this together.

Area Command
At the onset of COVID-19 impacts in Pennsylvania, PennDOT enacted its Incident Command structure
centrally, ensuring consistent alignment with the direction set by Governor Wolf and the PA Department
of Health, coordinated through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). All facets of
our operation adjusted their respective Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans and deployed
components as circumstances warranted. While we frequently follow National Incident Management
processes for winter storms or flooding events, the impacts of COVID-19 required many adjustments to
our typical approach. The Area Command team and our executive staff have been actively engaged in
planning activities every day since the first restrictions were needed.

Driver and Vehicle Services

PennDOT’s 75 Driver License Centers and 27 Photo License Centers are some of Pennsylvania
government’s most public touchpoints. On March 16, In accordance with Governor Wolf’s mitigation
guidance, we transitioned from regional facility closures to closing all these centers statewide. To help
alleviate customer impacts, PennDOT:

• Quickly extended expiration dates for driver’s licenses, photo ID cards, learner’s permits, vehicle
registrations, safety and emissions inspections and disability placards;
• Ensured that the most common customer transactions remain available online; and
• Are addressing mission critical functions to support law enforcement and ensure essential
customer service functions are completed.

PennDOT also requested that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) consider extending
the October 1, 2020 deadline for REAL ID enforcement. On March 26, USDHS announced that
enforcement would be postponed until October 1, 2021.
Updated July 8, 2020

Starting May 8, 2020, some Driver License Centers and Photo License Centers in yellow phase counties
will reopen, adhering to restrictions on work and social interaction set by Governor Tom Wolf and the
Pennsylvania Department of Health. We are also offering designated hours for customers 60 and older.
See the FAQ's below for more information on open locations, available services and safety protocols.

Engineering Districts and County Maintenance Offices

PennDOT District offices were closed in response to guidance relative to COVID-19 mitigation. Many
functions of these offices are continuing, thanks to telework and phone and video conferencing. Our
staff and our engineering partners are continuing to plan and design projects electronically. Hauling
permits are being issued through electronic systems. PennDOT County Maintenance offices also closed,
but mission critical processes and crews are assembled to respond to essential safety needs. These small
groups are following guidance to minimize close contact and reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Construction
PennDOT quickly put construction projects on hold – first regionally and now statewide – to minimize
exposure for PennDOT and private-sector employees, and for the communities where they live and
work. Our staff and contractors have been addressing emergency needs, and on March 31, we
announced that emergency and critical construction projects will continue. The work that continues
addresses specific safety need criteria, such as landslide repairs, or critical bridge, tunnel and drainage
repairs, and work needed to eliminate roadway restrictions that could impede the ability for the
movement of life-sustaining goods and services.

• View a PDF of the original list of approved projects

• View a PDF of additional approved projects as of April 20, 2020
• View a PDF of additional approved projects as of April 27, 2020.

As of May 1, nearly all PennDOT road and bridge construction projects have restarted, with limited
exceptions based on project-specific factors, including location and feasibility for social distancing and
COVID-19 safety protocols at the jobsite. Work on all projects is conducted in accordance with Centers
for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-
19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-
site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

The safety plan, as well as a general framework for restarting construction projects, was developed by a
PennDOT-led multidisciplinary team with representation from the construction industry and the
consulting engineering community, as well as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA).

Traffic Management Centers

To ensure that essential traffic management systems continue to function, PennDOT transitioned all its
Traffic Management Centers (TMC) – the statewide TMC, four regional 24/7 operations and two peak-
hour facilities – to remote operations. The first area impacted by the virus was southeastern
Pennsylvania, where the highest traffic volumes exist. We quickly migrated these operations to other
Traffic Management Centers within the Commonwealth. This successful shift of service enabled us to
develop a broader approach, and now all are functioning remotely.
Updated July 8, 2020

Rest Areas and Welcome Centers

PennDOT initially closed all welcome centers and rest areas in a proactive measure to protect
employees and the motoring public. These centers have now reopened with additional cleaning and
maintenance protocols in place.

Transit
PennDOT recognizes that while public transportation is a critical need for many Pennsylvanians,
mitigation recommendations from the national Center for Disease Control and the PA Department of
Health within these services can be challenging to deploy. We have been in close communication with
and supporting transit agencies throughout the state, as well as Amtrak, as they navigate adjusting
schedules and services. Transit agencies have enacted frequent cleaning procedures to reduce traveler
exposure risk. County shared ride services are working to ensure critical transportation services are
available for those that depend on them.

All these efforts are evolving constantly as circumstances change – a tribute to the dedication of our
team, and their keen ability to innovate. Our team in PennDOT Engineering District 6 in southeastern PA
and our Driver and Vehicle services teams were the first to work their way through the impacts and have
been mentors to their counterparts across the state as the COVID-19 virus effects spread. Many lessons
learned in these early actions have aided in the statewide planning process.

We anxiously look forward to the time when COVID-19 is within control, and full transportation services
can be restored. In every facet of the business we are developing strategies to phase in services when it
is safe to do so and are forging plans to recover from the impacts of this disease. Your diligence in
slowing the spread by following the guidance of the Department of Health and Governor Wolf, and your
patience as we work through the challenges together is truly appreciated.