Pickett discusses roads

BY ERIC HRIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: March 17, 2010

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State Rep. Tina Pickett said better communication is needed to alert the public about the repair of area secondary roads battered by freeze-thaw cycles and heavy-truck traffic.

Earlier, PennDOT said those factors were causing the roads to deteriorate.

Pickett said she contacted the director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a group whose members are gas companies, on Monday about an idea she had to inform the public. The director of the group is Kate Klaber.

Pickett said she thinks the coalition and PennDOT should get together and provide the news media a daily report of what roads will be repaired each day and what the public can expect.

"I'm envisioning this every day on the front page, (saying) 'this is where we are this day,'" she said.

"In my opinion, there should be a coordinated effort between the two (the coalition and PennDOT) so the public knows what is being worked on and what they can expect, " she said.

Pickett said Klaber thought her suggestion was a good one, and should be implemented.

Continuing, Pickett said she thinks Klaber must have talked to Chesapeake Energy about her suggestion, saying she got an e-mail from David Spigelmyer, with Chesapeake, who said in the e-mail, "we will be talking today about making a pro-active statement to the media."

Pickett said the public needs to be kept informed. For example, she said, there are 12 private roadway contractors working every day to get the roads in order, and people need to know this and whether or not their road is being fixed.

Pickett also said the township supervisors can shut down a road if a gas company doesn't fix it up as per a road agreement, and said she thinks they should exercise this power.

In addition, Pickett said she addresses the issue of the bad roads on a daily basis, adding that she talks to PennDOT and the gas companies each day.

"You have to stay on it every day to make sure anyone's problem road is being worked on."

Rick Mason, with PennDOT, couldn't be reached for comment.

The Review had not heard from the industry organization as of Tuesday evening.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; e-mail: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

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1 posted comments

"we will be talking today about making a proactive statement"????? Well, why not make a proactive statement by FIXING the roads instead of collaborating about what to say???? Actions speak louder than words, and so far not much, if any action is taking place!
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Fed up,  03/17/10 9:25