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Heading out for Memorial Day weekend? PennDOT, LANTA say they can help with travel plans

Whether you’re planning to visit Aunt Bertha in Bethlehem or travel across the Keystone State during the Memorial Day, PennDOT and LANTA say they have your back.PennDOT encourages motorists to plan with its “Historic Holiday Traffic” feature on its website.On www.511PA.com, people can check out the historical feature to view traffic speeds at different times on the Friday before and on Memorial Day in 2017 and last year. Motorists can compare those traffic conditions with patterns during a typical weekday. Users can choose among eight regions, including the Lehigh Valley and view an hour-by-hour, color-coded representation of traffic speeds.PennDOT spokesman Ron Young said Thursday the goal of the historical maps is to help area motorists and long-distance travelers determine the best times to travel during the holiday. You can find “Historic Holiday Travel” on the bottom left of the 511PA home page.PennDOT uses color codes that are the same for checking real-time traffic: Black means stop and go traffic; red signifies heavy traffic; yellow means moderate traffic; and green is free-flowing.Young said PennDOT first began the enhanced feature during Thanksgiving weekend 2015. The state deploys the historical data during major holidays, he said.A PennDOT news release also said the department will remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible through the holiday period. Motorists can use the website to see active construction projects.The public can use 511PA to check conditions on more than 40,000 miles of roads. The service, which is free and available 24 hours a day, also provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 860 traffic cameras.PennDOT says 511PA is also available through a smartphone app for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 511, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.Meanwhile, LANTA said Thursday it will run buses for the first time on Memorial Day. The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority previously announced plans to run Sunday-level service on other holidays, including Fourth of July and Labor Day in September. The other holidays are New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday.LANTAVan and LANTAFlex also will have service those days.Thanksgiving and Christmas will continue to be no-service days, according to a LANTA news release.Executive Director Owen O’Neil said LANTA’s decision to add holiday service is in response to riders’ needs.“Serving the employment, shopping and social needs of our riders is a high priority at LANTA,” he said.Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at 610-820-6694 or asalamone@mcall.com.
Source: Morningcall

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