Attachment P: Economic Vitality - PA 61 Critical Rural Freight Corridor Safety Enhancements - Revitalize 61
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Attachment P:
Economic Vitality
2021 PA 61 Critical Rural Freight Corridor Safety Enhancements
2021 INFRA Grant Application
Schuylkill County Warehouse Developments
Potential
Site Bldg Size (sf) Expansion (sf) Type Approximate Location Anticipated Occupation
1* 1,015,000 300,000 Distribution Center 71 Mall Rd. Old Schuylkill Mall site 2022
2 1,250,000 160,000 Distribution Center 2 miles east of SR61 along I-81 2024
3 2,450,000 Distribution Center 7 miles east of SR61 at next exit on I-81 2024
4 1,363,000 Distribution Center 5 miles west of SR61 2024
5 2,382,810 Logistics Center 17 miles west of SR61 - along I81 Exit 107 2024
8,460,810 460,000
Note: Site information is kept basic due to confidentiality restrictions
* Site 1 - shown below
2017 Population1 % Change from 2010 Median Age1 Education Attainment1
144,287 -2.7% 44.2
Grad. or Professional Degree
Age Distribution2
Schuylkill County, 19.38%
4.79% Bachelor's Degree
Associate's Degree
14.85%
Pennsylvania 7.29%
Some College, No Degree
High School Diploma
High School, No Diploma
29.41%
2017 Unemployment Rate1 24.29% Less Than 9th Grade
Schuylkill County Employment4 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
50,200 0-4 5-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65+ % of County Population % of US Population
50,003 50,039
50,000 UNIQUE INDUSTRY CLUSTERS4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC
49,880
49,811 49,794 Primary Metal Manufacturing
49,800 49,714 49,696 Median Household Income1 $47.642
49,644 Electrical Equipment, Appliance &
Component Manufacturing Average Annual Wage3 $42,675
49,600
49,398 Forest & Wood Products Population in Poverty + ALICE*5 42%
49,400
Transportation & Logistics Food Insecurity Rate6 11.6%
49,192
49,200 Fabricated Metal Product Worked Outside County 32.3%
of Residence 1
Manufacturing
49,000
48,800 TOP INDUSTRIES OF EMPLOYMENT, 20187 HOUSING1
48,600
Manufacturing 22.1% Median Home Value $96,200
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Health Care & Social Services 14.7% Homeowner Vacancy Rate 1.6%
Sources:
1. ACS 5-Year Estimates (2013-2017) Transportation & Warehousing 12.0% Rental Vacancy Rate 5.2%
2. US Census (via StatsAmerica.org) Housing Units with No Vehicle 9.3%
3. US BLS Retail Trade 10.6%
4. US BLS QCEW Residential Building 105
5. United Way ALICE Report - 2019 Update for Pennsylvania
Educational Services 6.9% Permits, 20182
6. map.feedingamerica.org
7. US BLS (via StatsAmerica.org) *ALICE = Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
Information provided by Steven N. Zaricki Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2019-2024
Research & Information Manager Five-Year Plan for Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance http://www,nepa-alliance.org
84
SCRANTON ¦
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WILKES-BARRE
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220 WILLIAMSPORT £
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209
LOCK HAVEN
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SUNBURY U
V61 £
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V61 FRACKVILLE
Highridge SAINT CLAIR
Business BETHLEHEM
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522 Park POTTSVILLE
U 78
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V 61
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22
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¤209
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78
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222 ALLENTOWN
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HARRISBURG
¤ 422
LEBANON
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76
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222
READING
176
476
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209
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0 5 10
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Miles
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Project Area Distressed Census Tract 30 Minutes Drive Time
PA 61 Corridor Federal Opportunity Zone 45 Minutes Drive Time
County Boundary Urban Area 60 Minutes Drive Time
Schuylkill County Profile January 2021
Unemployment Rate, Jan 2010 to Dec 2020
17
PA Max: 16.1% PA Min: 4.1%
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
County Max: 16.6% County Min: 4.9%
4
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
2019 Population
PA Schuylkill Recession
Demographic County PA
Total Population 142,674 12,791,530 Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Female 69,721 6,526,417
Dec 2020 County PA
Male 72,953 6,265,113
Unemployment Rate 6.8% 6.7%
Population by Race Labor Force 65,700 6,283,000
White 93.7% 80.5% Employed 61,200 5,864,000
Black 3.2% 11.2% Unemployed 4,500 420,000
Other 3.1% 8.3% Notes: Current month's data are preliminary. Data are Seasonally Adjusted.
Hispanic Origin (all races) 4.4% 7.3%
Population by Age Unemployment Compensation Exhaustees
Ages 0 to 17 19.8% 20.8%
Ages 18 to 24 7.0% 9.2% Jan 2020 to Dec 2020 Volume Percent of Total
Ages 25 to 34 11.8% 13.1% Pre-UC Industry County PA County PA
Ages 35 to 44 12.2% 11.7%
Natural Resources & Mining 50 3,950 1.5% 1.0%
Ages 45 to 54 14.4% 13.2%
Construction 290 30,370 8.5% 8.0%
Ages 55 to 64 14.8% 14.1%
Ages 65 to 74 11.2% 10.0%
Manufacturing 670 33,980 20.0% 9.0%
Ages 75 and Older 8.9% 7.9% Trade, Transportation & Utilities 730 73,010 22.0% 19.5%
Median Age 44.4 40.8 Information 20 4,810 0.5% 1.5%
Financial Activities 50 11,490 1.5% 3.0%
Source: U.S. Census 5 Year Estimate 2015-2019 (Tables: DP05 and B01001) Professional & Business Services 380 53,360 11.5% 14.0%
Education & Health Services 540 55,030 16.0% 14.5%
2019 Veterans County PA Leisure & Hospitality 440 89,390 13.0% 23.5%
Total Veterans 10,717 759,474 Other Services 110 17,330 3.5% 4.5%
Median Veteran Income $32,966 $38,725 Government 30 3,020 1.0% 1.0%
Median Non-Veteran Income $28,219 $31,116 Info Not Available 30 3,260 1.0% 1.0%
Veteran Unemployment Rate 5.9% 4.6% Total 3,340 379,000 100% 100%
Note: Percentages less than 0.5% will be displayed as 0.0%.
Source: U.S. Census 5 Year Estimate 2015-2019 (Table: S2101)
Source: Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation System
Online Job Postings County PA Top 10 Employers by Employment in Q2 of 2020
December 2020 1,025 94,014 Wal-Mart Associates Inc
December 2019 406 109,916
State Government
Annual Volume Change 619 -15,902
Annual Percent Change 152.5% -14.5% Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street
TM
Wegmans Food Markets Inc
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Help Wanted OnLine
Sapa Extrusions Inc
Income County PA Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation
Per Capita Personal Income $6,227,537 $742,924,296 Jeld-Wen Inc
Total Personal Income $44,055 $58,032
Lowe's Home Centers LLC
Median Household Income $52,280 $61,744
Median Family Income $64,845 $78,521 Federal Government
County of Schuylkill
Note: Total Personal Income is displayed in thousands.
Note: Median Incomes are in 2019 adjusted dollars.
Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Source: Personal Incomes - Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) - 2019
Source: Median Incomes - U.S. Census 2015-2019 (Tables: B19013 & B19113) Center for Workforce Information & Analysis
Schuylkill County Profile January 2021
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2019 Annual Averages
Estab. Employment Employment % Wages
NAICS NAICS Description County LQ County PA County PA County PA
Total, All Industries 3,038 1.00 49,957 5,925,582 100.0% 100.0% $43,650 $57,497
11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 39 3.79 799 25,013 1.6% 0.4% $39,914 $36,714
21 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas 36 2.29 541 28,043 1.1% 0.5% $58,630 $90,133
22 Utilities 36 1.31 381 34,608 0.8% 0.6% $71,627 $99,248
23 Construction 197 0.69 1,576 269,127 3.2% 4.5% $51,161 $68,113
31-33 Manufacturing 174 2.28 11,054 575,459 22.1% 9.7% $57,353 $64,251
42 Wholesale Trade 106 0.52 957 217,417 1.9% 3.7% $49,480 $82,077
44-45 Retail Trade 424 1.03 5,348 614,434 10.7% 10.4% $26,348 $30,251
48-49 Transportation and Warehousing 182 2.37 6,307 315,199 12.6% 5.3% $42,286 $50,189
51 Information 26 0.33 249 90,505 0.5% 1.5% $45,694 $93,124
52 Finance and Insurance 132 0.39 868 267,300 1.7% 4.5% $51,516 $97,378
53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52 0.37 203 65,421 0.4% 1.1% $50,737 $62,576
54 Professional and Technical Services 150 0.26 817 367,729 1.6% 6.2% $57,501 $98,975
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 18 0.42 483 136,094 1.0% 2.3% $77,243 $135,620
56 Administrative and Waste Services 115 0.53 1,431 322,045 2.9% 5.4% $28,185 $38,452
61 Educational Services 67 0.87 3,542 484,699 7.1% 8.2% $43,252 $58,763
62 Health Care and Social Assistance 624 0.86 7,866 1,090,104 15.7% 18.4% $42,006 $52,330
71 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 37 0.36 317 103,178 0.6% 1.7% $15,465 $34,327
72 Accommodation and Food Services 258 0.70 2,824 478,166 5.7% 8.1% $14,892 $19,451
81 Other Services (Except Public Administration) 269 0.75 1,289 203,687 2.6% 3.4% $25,083 $35,241
92 Public Administration 100 1.55 3,107 237,356 6.2% 4.0% $53,501 $62,908
Total, Suppressed Local Industries 0 0 0.0%
Company Ownership
Total, All Ownership 3,038 1.00 49,957 5,925,582 100.0% 100.0% $43,650 $57,497
Private Ownership 2,800 0.97 42,713 5,249,726 85.5% 88.6% $42,852 $57,226
Federal Ownership 59 0.72 595 98,105 1.2% 1.7% $64,828 $77,436
State Ownership 26 1.47 1,618 130,313 3.2% 2.2% $65,555 $64,185
Local Ownership 153 1.33 5,030 447,439 10.1% 7.6% $40,883 $54,362
Notes: 'Estab.'-Establishments. 'LQ'-(Location Quotient) is the percent of county employment by sector divided by the percent of PA's employment by sector.
Occupational Wages, 2019 Annual Averages
Entry-Level Wage Average Wage
SOC Code Major Occupational Group County PA County PA
00-0000 Total, All Occupations $22,220 $23,070 $41,260 $51,340
11-0000 Management $52,070 $62,900 $94,020 $125,270
13-0000 Business & Financial Operations $36,470 $45,450 $59,550 $76,330
15-0000 Computer & Mathematical $33,260 $51,220 $60,000 $86,730
17-0000 Architecture & Engineering $43,830 $48,690 $70,820 $80,650
19-0000 Life, Physical & Social Science $40,760 $40,950 $65,080 $76,750
21-0000 Community & Social Services $29,280 $30,240 $44,620 $46,880
23-0000 Legal $28,390 $44,090 $77,370 $106,560
25-0000 Education, Training & Library $25,480 $28,380 $47,560 $61,790
27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media $23,840 $25,090 $37,540 $52,720
29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners & Technical $36,880 $40,130 $74,070 $77,730
31-0000 Healthcare Support $21,690 $22,230 $29,630 $29,760
33-0000 Protective Service $37,040 $23,540 $58,040 $47,580
35-0000 Food Preparation & Serving Related $17,490 $17,700 $23,170 $25,190
37-0000 Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance $19,320 $20,730 $26,250 $30,500
39-0000 Personal Care & Service $17,600 $17,920 $24,690 $28,440
41-0000 Sales & Related $17,700 $19,550 $31,600 $42,680
43-0000 Office & Administrative Support $24,730 $25,470 $36,910 $40,460
45-0000 Farming, Fishing & Forestry $22,640 $20,240 $30,210 $34,810
47-0000 Construction & Extraction $31,190 $32,560 $45,220 $54,530
49-0000 Installation, Maintenance & Repair $27,580 $30,140 $44,510 $50,010
51-0000 Production $26,950 $25,610 $39,380 $40,640
53-0000 Transportation & Material Moving $23,480 $22,440 $34,740 $36,350
Note: 'ND' represents Non-Disclosable information.
Website: www.workstats.dli.pa.gov Email: workforceinfo@pa.gov Phone: 877-4WF-DATA
Clearly Clean Products, LLC
603 Industrial Drive
Orwigsburg PA 17961
gcolby@clearlyclean.com
12 March 2021
The Honorable Peter Buttigieg
Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg,
I am writing to express our company's strong support for the Infrastructure for
Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant application by the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation (PennDOT) for the project entitled 2021 PA 61 Critical Rural Freight
Corridor Safety Enhancements (the “Project”, hereafter) in Schuylkill County,
Pennsylvania.
Our company, Clearly Clean Products, LLC, manufactures, warehouses, and
distributes recyclable plastic trays which are widely used in the food industry. Among
other features, our trays are fully recyclable and are therefore rapidly replacing non-
recyclable plastic foam trays for packaging of meat, poultry, and other products. We
manufacture our products in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Schuylkill County is a rural county located in Northeastern Pennsylvania with a
total population of 142,569 (2019, est.). PA 61 is a principal arterial roadway classified
as a Critical Rural Freight Corridor that goes through the heart of Schuylkill County. It
provides a vital link between Interstates 78 and 81. With an average of 19,200 vehicles
travelled per day (pre COVID-19), PA 61 is vital to sustaining commerce and economic
development in Schuylkill County, particularly to the manufacturing, warehousing and
distribution centers in the area.
Of immediate relevance to our company, PA 61 connects the two principal
operating sites of our company, and one of the portions of PA 61 most in need of urgent
repairs (between St. Clair and Frackville PA) is located between those two operating
sites.
In 2020, our company was recognized by the Northeast Pennsylvania
Manufacturer's Association as the fastest-growing manufacturer in Northeast
Pennsylvania. Our primary shipping and logistic center and about 2/3 of ourPennsylvania manufacturing operations are located in Frackville -- approximately two
miles North of the partially-closed section of PA 61. Our Pennsylvania headquarters,
our research operations, most of our administrative offices, and about 1/3 of our
Pennsylvania manufacturing operations are situated in Orwigsburg, PA, about 14 miles
South of that partially-closed section. For this reason, repairs to PA 61 have a particular
urgency for our company/
It is currently a 16-mile trip along PA 61 from our Orwigsburg facilities to our
Frackville facilities, and that trip normally takes about 30 minutes (28 minutes, according
to Google Maps) and includes few if any tight turns. If PA 61 degraded further, such
that we could no longer use that route, it appears that the next-shortest route (along PA
901 and I-81) would be the likely route for vehicle trips between our facilities, and this
route is 26.2 miles in length, would take about 42 minutes (per Google Maps) and
includes no fewer than six sharp turns (and a 270-degree turn followed immediately by
a U-turn for trips in the Northbound direction). We do not know what impact increased
truck traffic would have upon the town of Minersville, which lies directly astride this
alternate route. In short, it appears that the traffic route between our facilities would be
both longer and more dangerous if PA 61 became impassable.
PA 61 provides a crucial link for the rural communities in the northern tier of the
County to access medical, educational employment and other resources not available in
these former coal towns. The continued operation of this critical corridor is jeopardized
by the degradation of the roadway infrastructure, unstable slopes, geometric
deficiencies, and funding shortages.
The scope of the Project includes the reconstruction of more than four miles of its
four lanes between the boroughs of St. Clair and Frackville. The PA 61 corridor contains
multiple substandard horizonal curves, steep rock embankments, substandard shoulder
widths, and limited sight lines - all of which contribute to unsafe conditions. The
pavement along the corridor is in poor condition with large portions dating back to the
late 1910s. In addition, degradation of sections of the southbound embankment has
jeopardized the stability of the roadway and required PennDOT to permanently close
one southbound lane. Temporary slope repairs have been evaluated and determined to
be fiscally infeasible. A full reconstruction is required in order to adequately address the
instability of the slope, which at its current rate of degradation will likely require a full
closure of the southbound lanes in less than 10 years.
PennDOT intends to completely reconstruct this section of PA 61, including
shoulder widening, slope stabilization, realignment of the four substandard curves,
installation of about 1,100 feet of new retaining walls, and the rehabilitation of eight
culverts. The Project is currently in the final design phase with the environmental
clearance completed in 2020.The reconstruction of PA 61 is critical to providing safe and reliable access for
businesses and residents of Schuylkill County to the governmental, commercial, and
medical facilities in the county seat of Pottsville. If PA 61 closes for any reason, the
detour travel time for emergency services could cost lives. The detour doubles or triples
the usual 14 minute travel time between St. Clair and I-81/Frackvile.. Finally, the terrain,
and the substandard features, require disproportionate operations and maintenance
main
expenditures for a relatively short stretch of highway.
Even apart from our company's facilities, tthe
he Schuylkill County region continues
to grow the warehousing, distribution and logistics sectors with a safe, reliable
transportation system that takes advantage of its unique location between the
Interstates 78 and 81, and the proximity to the population centers along the Eastern
Seaboard. As the primary connection between these two vital interstates, PA 61 is a
Critical Rural Freight Corridor for the region and contributes to the economic vitality of
the entire Schuylkill County and Northeastern Pennsylvania Region.
PennDOT is requesting federal funding to supplement planned state funding to
reconstruct PA 61 to provide safe and reliable travel while maintaining and growing
commerce in Schuylkill County.
Continued functioning of PA 61 is important to the operations of our company --
both to travel between our local sites of operation (on either end of the portion of PA 61
requiring repair) and
d to transportation of our products from our local sites to our
customers.
I appreciate your consideration of our comments and strongly urge you to award
funding for the 2021 PA 61 Critical Rural Freight Corridor Safety Enhancements
Project. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if I can be of assistance in
any other way.
Very truly yours,
Gary D. Colby
General Counsel
Clearly Clean Products, LLCYou can also read
