In this press release the Governor of Pennsylvania announces the week of the 12th to be National Transportation Week. As you know I am a strong supporter of transportation options for PA residents for many reasons. This proclamation is important to License Restoration Services. Anything that helps to bring attention to transportation issues that impact quality of life and our employment options is a good thing for all of us in the long run.

5/14/2013 - Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett has proclaimed the week of May 12 as National Transportation Week, noting the vital role that multi-modal transportation plays in strengthening Pennsylvania’s safety, economy and quality of life.

Corbett’s proclamation coincides with the transportation week’s national observance. National Transportation Week is commemorated annually to raise public awareness about the importance of transportation to our cities, states and nation. It also highlights the professionals who keep our citizens mobile and promotes career opportunities in the transportation field.

“This week gives us the opportunity to highlight how important transportation is in our everyday lives. It is essential for public safety and the continued growth of Pennsylvania’s economy,” Corbett said. “A multi-modal system gives independence to seniors and persons with disabilities, keeps commerce moving and provides transportation options.”

The proclamation follows Corbett’s release of a transportation funding proposal that would invest an additional $2 billion into our transportation infrastructure by its fifth year of implementation and could create up to 50,000 jobs. The plan would also increase public safety, drive commerce and provide reliable funding for our transportation needs without burdening future generations.

To learn more about Corbett’s transportation funding plan visit

www.dot.state.pa.us.

PennDOT Editor’s Note: The following is a copy of Governor Corbett’s proclamation of support:

It is my pleasure to join with the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) in support of May 13-18, 2013 as “National Transportation Week” in Pennsylvania. Since its inception, NDTA has remained dedicated to its mission of fostering an efficient global logistics and transportation system in support of our nation’s economy and security.

“National Transportation Week” promotes awareness and appreciation of the transportation industry and recognizes the achievements of transportation professionals.

This year’s theme, Transportation – The World is Right Next Door, highlights the technological advances in the transportation industry and how these improvements benefit the global economy. I commend the members of NDTA for their efforts and I hope this organization continues its mission for years to come.

As governor, and on behalf of all Pennsylvanians, I am pleased to support May 13-18, 2013 as “National Transportation Week” in the Commonwealth. Please accept my best wishes for a successful week-long celebration.

According to the PennDOT website;

If you are issued six or more parking tickets or citations from the Philadelphia Parking Authority and have failed to pay or defaulted in payment of the tickets or citations your vehicle registration will be indefinitely suspended (1379-A) upon notification from Philadelphia Parking Authority to PennDOT.

An additional vehicle registration suspension (1379-D) will be imposed if an additional parking ticket(s) is received while your registration is suspended under Section 1379(A).

All payments of tickets must be made to the Philadelphia Parking Authority only. All questions regarding these tickets or citations must be directed to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

The vehicle registration suspension will remain in effect until clearing the tickets with the Philadelphia Parking Authority and all other applicable requirements for the registration restoration are satisfied.

A Registration Suspension Letter will be mailed to you indicating that you are required to pay a $50 restoration fee before the registration is restored. The restoration fee will be paid to the Philadelphia Parking Authority at the time the tickets are paid.

I also wrote recently about being able to fight Philly parking tickets online, without a hearing. If you have a vehicle registration suspension because of parking tickets you should look into that option to clear the hold on your registration.

If your driver’s license is suspended you can always call me and we can discuss what is actually keeping your license suspended because we know it’s not parking tickets.

From the article;

She thought the matter was handled, until she then received a letter from the the State Franchise Tax Board saying that it would be taking money out of her tax refund to pay for the ticket and late fees.

Just goes to show you need to stay on top of your driving record and all mail you get from the DMV. This letter stating her responsibility could have easily been overlooked and this mess may have gotten out of control. I see these missed notices resulting in everything from unneeded fines to license suspension, don’t ignore any notice from PennDOT and if you have questions about the tickets call me for help!

License Restoration Services – 610-355-9600

Our carpet cleaner came in with his heavy equipment today and the place looks and smells great. I can’t believe how quickly he was able to transform our carpet from being just a little dingy to bright and colorful.

Steamy Stuarts
610-459-4989

http://www.steamystuarts.com

Our plans for this spring also include a fresh coat of pain in a office or two as well as changing out a florescent light fixture for something that does not flicker..ugh. A little office restoration if you will.  It’s amazing how much “stuff” collects over the winter and how much brighter the office is once that “stuff” is cleared out of the way.

Thank you for listening, now back to your regularly scheduled license restoration projects.

According to Senate Bill 618 sponsor Stewart J. Greenleaf :

The Department of Transportation makes a probationary license available to a habitual offender whose driving privileges have been revoked or to a person with an accumulation of suspensions or revocations of five years or more.

Currently, in order to receive a probationary license, a person with one to seven offenses must serve at least three years of suspension or revocation, a person with eight to 14 offenses must serve at least four years of suspension or revocation, a person with 15 to 21 offenses must serve at least five years of suspension or revocation, and a person with 22 or more offenses must serve at least six years of suspension or revocation.

My legislation reduces each of these time periods by half.  A person with one to seven offenses must serve at least one and one-half years of suspension or revocation instead of three, a person with eight to 14 offenses must serve at least two years instead of four, a person with 15 to 21 offenses must serve at least two and one-half years instead of five, and a person with 22 or more offenses must serve at least three years instead of six.

Under current law, a probationary license can only be issued once in a lifetime. Should a person’s probationary license be suspended, they would no longer have the ability to secure such a license in the future.  My proposal would provide that an individual could apply for another probationary license after five years. This would mirror the rules for an occupational limited license.

In applying for a probationary license, the person must prove to the department’s satisfaction that he has not driven a motor vehicle during the minimum period of suspension or revocation.  My measure would provide that the applicant’s driving history shall be sufficient documentation for the department to determine whether the applicant is eligible for a probationary license. Even though the department indicates that they look at the driving record, I believe it is important to make clear in the law that “proof to the department’s satisfaction” means the person’s driving record.

In order to be eligible for a regular driver’s license, a person must successfully drive with a probationary license for six consecutive years. My legislation would reduce that period in half to three years. I believe this represents a fair and reasonable time period before a person can apply for restoration of their regular driver’s license.

This would reduce the amount of wait time an offender needs to serve, and would help the rehabilitation process. This would allow Pennsylvania residents to get back on their feet and end the cycle of repetitive suspensions that sometimes occur because of the need to provide for themselves and their families through reliable transportation and gainful employment.

I commend Senator Greenleaf who serves Bucks and Montgomery Counties as well as the  co-sponsors

• Senator Shirley M. Kitchen serving Philadelphia County (part)
• Senator James R. Brewster serving Allegheny (part) and Westmoreland (part) Counties
• Senator Jim Ferlo serving Allegheny (part), Armstrong (part) and Westmoreland (part) Counties
• Senator Christine M. Tartaglione serving Philadelphia County (part)

As you can imagine this would go a long way in our efforts to assist everyone who is fighting  lengthy suspensions. Increased access to these restricted licenses can help stop the license suspension “death spiral” and increase employment rates for Pennsylvania residents.

I strongly urge you to get in touch with your Senator or State Representative and let them know you support this bill and the

Sign outside of the Philadelphia Traffic Court. This building is exclusively for traffic tickets, parking tickets, and motor vehicle violations.

According to Philly.com - the [PA Senate] chamber on Wednesday passed two bills. The first would eliminate the seven-member court from the state constitution, which would require several years to accomplish. The second would hobble the court in the interim by transferring its responsibilities to Philadelphia Municipal Court.

The bills now go to the state House, where their chances also appear strong.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/191140911.html

If the PA House agrees with the Senate and these bills pass then you could see the end of a system that had great potential. A dedicated traffic court done right could save Philly so many headaches and could streamline a system for residents to quickly and fairly handle simple traffic tickets and parking violations. The sheer volume of traffic and parking cases will make the already busy municipal court workload grind and sputter. It is going to take some time to properly incorporate the once external Philly traffic ticket matters into the municipal system, and take a good bit of money to expand the municipal system to keep up with the increased load.

What this means for you, the Philadelphia driver?

Nothing in the short term. Even if these bills are passed it will take a few years to merge the two systems and develop proper procedures and resources for the Municipal Court. In the long term however you may see longer waits for hearings as well as added confusion about new rules to keep both systems running properly.

A judge in Dauphin County recently tossed out several DUI cases after learning that the manufacturer of a widely used breathalyzer – the Intoxilyzer 5000EN – had omitted a state requirement to have a liquid solution tested by independent labs.

“The judge ruled that could potentially make the samples no good,” state police spokesman Adam Reed said. “The case is being appealed; it is certainly far from over. But for cautionary reasons we have made the temporary decision that anyone we arrest for suspicion of DUI will not be given the breathalyzer test.”

Instead, he said, suspect drivers will be taken to a police facility or hospital to have blood drawn to measure the percentage of alcohol in their blood.

This does not mean State Police will stop using the mobile breath test as part of their investigation. They can still request a blood or urine test, and if refused, the driver will automatically have their license suspended per the Pennsylvania Implied Consent Law.

This may have far reaching effects on DUI convictions as lawyers reach out to have the DUI overturned or expunged from driving records.

I am constantly asked about how PennDOT can issue a license suspension when there was never a license issued, The answer is that your driving privilege is suspended, and the credit toward that suspension time will start once you are legally able to hold a license and you acknowledge that suspension to PennDOT.

So PennDOT does not care that you were 14 when that underage drinking citation was issued and you were hit with 90 days of suspension. It does not matter if you did not have a Pennsylvania license when you were charged with a drug violation. The fact that you were not licensed will not stop PennDOT from assigning a Pennsylvania ID number and putting that suspension time, or points, or any sanction, against your driving privilege and those sanctions can prevent you from getting a license at any point in the future.

That Pennsylvania ID number will follow you forever, and any time there are sanctions against your driving privilege it will be this number that will carry the record of those sanctions.

Vote Here: Save The Monopoly Race Car

The MONOPOLY game was officially created in 1934 as a game about real-estate along the New Jersey Shore. Since 1935 Monopoly has become an American icon and it known world wide! More than six billion little green houses and 2.25 billion red hotels have been “constructed” since 1935 and more than 20 tokens have been used since the MONOPOLY game was introduced in 1935 such as the horse, dog, car, elephant, purse and lantern.

Although the official record for a game of MONOPOLY is 70 days long, in my younger years my roommates and I have has some marathon games that have lasted much longer even with breaks for sleep and food.

It just feels natural to have a race car as a MONOPOLY token, and we could not imagine a game without some type of motorized transportation, especially ones that do not require a driver’s license.