Pennsylvania,  Quality of Life Benefits of Transportation,  Safety

50 Years of Connecting Communities

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is using modern technology to highlight how the department has continued to improve safety and support the state’s economy throughout its 50 years.

At PennDOT, we’re always looking for innovative solutions to improve transportation across the state. Despite this forward-thinking mindset, we realize that looking at the past can sometimes inform solutions to modern challenges.

As part of Act 120, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was created on July 1, 1970. To honor PennDOT’s 50-year anniversary, we created a timeline of events to highlight some of our most important milestones over the years.

From the early 1900’s through 2020, Pennsylvania’s transportation industry has gone through changes that inform how we do business today…

Did you know that the Rural Roads Program of the 1930’s had a significant impact on Pennsylvania’s economy? Or that our Medical Re-Examination Program for drivers 45 and older began in 1960?

In more recent history, public transportation in Pennsylvania received its own dedicated funding source in 2007. Our state’s first Active Transportation Plan was completed just last year, outlining a vision and framework for improving conditions for walking and bicycling across Pennsylvania.

See the full timeline at PennDOT.gov/50years to learn more about our history. We’ll be adding future milestones to our website as we continue to improve Pennsylvania’s transportation operations in the coming years.


Read additional stories from this state:

2021

2020