And you thought all the investigations were in Washington
Pennsylvania's bungled response to a February 13-15 winter storm emergency that left thousands stranded for hours in their gridlocked cars and trucks along Interstate highways is back in the news. A new report, political damage control, commissioned by Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) puts the blame on a communications breakdown between police, the state DOT and the very-concerned Governor's office. A day late, the Governor called out the National Guard to rescue stranded motorists.
The $130,000 consultant's report also found that 55 of 74 road sensors embedded in the pavement of I-78 weren't working and some hadn't worked since the summer of 2006. The sensors give DOT pavement temperature and traffic movement information. The report also noted that many of the variable-message electronic roadside signs along the highways weren't working, so they couldn't warn approaching motorists of the traffic jams ahead.
The Governor defended PA DOT for its handling of the storm against Republican calls for reorganization of the state's emergency response system. "This was Pennsylvania's Valentine's Day massacre," said Sen. Roger Madigan, R-Bradford. "This report is an indictment of this administration's failures."