The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that a team of students from Fort LeBoeuf High School in Erie County has been selected the District 1 winner for the sixth Innovations Challenge program.

Team members are Kody Bukoski, Morgan McKinnon, and Isabella Johnson. They are mentored by teacher Cody Patton,

The PennDOT Innovations Challenge invites high school students from around the state to develop creative solutions to real-world transportation challenges. The goal of the Innovations Challenge is to help students explore actual challenges PennDOT and the transportation industry is facing as well as consider the possibility of working in the industry following graduation.

This school year, teams were tasked with selecting one of Pennsylvania's interstate corridors where truck parking is a known issue and developing an innovative approach to increase commercial truck parking availability in that area and offset costs incurred for construction.

"Pennsylvania is a critical freight corridor for commercial drivers bound for destinations across the continent," said Mike Carroll, Acting Secretary of Transportation. "It's inspiring to see the next generation of problem-solvers approaching the issues of today with the creativity and ingenuity of tomorrow."

The winning regional team's innovation was to transform a piece of land off of Interstate 90 in Fairview Township, Erie County, and create an area that offers ample parking and other conveniences geared toward truck drivers, as well as charging ports for electric vehicles.

"We greatly appreciate the time, effort and inventiveness the students brought to this challenge," said PennDOT District 1 Executive Brian McNulty, P.E./ Dax Nulph, District 1 Assistant District Executive – Construction. "Commercial truck parking availability is an ongoing issue and they presented thought-out ideas. This program helps us hear about challenges from different points of view, which can help move us closer to identifying a possible solution."

Regional Innovations Challenge winners for across the state will present their solutions to the PennDOT Acting Secretary and a panel of judges in Harrisburg next month, where a statewide winner for 2023 will be determined. For this year's challenge, the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) and the American Council of Engineering Companies of PA (ACEC/PA) are providing a combined total award of $4,000 to the statewide winning team.

For complete Innovations Challenge details, visit www.penndot.pa.gov/innovation and click on Innovations Challenge.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.PennDOT.pa.gov/District1.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Saxon Daugherty, sadaughert@pa.gov or 814-678-7095

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