The Pittsburgh Power 100, a listing of the region’s most influential business leaders, is being presented by categories this year. Here are Catalysts.

They stand at the intersection of research, job training and economic development. Their schools and organizations lure investment and partnerships. They are helping to build the workforce of the future and the leaders of tomorrow.

The Power 100, a listing of the region’s most influential business leaders, is being presented by categories this year. Here are Connectors.

Connectors are everywhere. They are the often behind-the-scenes players who drive business decisions and whose influence extends well beyond their given industries.

After more than eight years of limited funding, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will have $1.7 billion available for regional roads and bridges over the next two years due to increased federal funding, the most since 2015-16.

At a public hearing Wednesday on how to spend the funds in Allegheny County, Dom D’Andrea, SPC’s director of transportation, outlined the expected financing. Overall, including funds for public transit and alternative projects such as trails, the agency expects to have $3.1 billion to allocate over the next two years.

The budget proposal is the first window into the mayor’s priorities for next year.

Increased infrastructure spending, expanding city departments to improve services, and planning for future debt payments are some key elements of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed 2024 budget.

In a surprise to officials, the county now is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area just got a little bigger.

Lawrence County, which includes the city of New Castle, recently was added to the MSA, joining Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Reconstruction and intersection changes on Route 30 are among more than $1.1 billion in long-term highway projects proposed in a 25-year transportation plan for Westmoreland County.

The reconstruction of Route 30 would occur between Leger Road in North Huntingdon and the Irwin borough limits, and improvement is planned for two intersections in Hempfield — at Donohoe and Georges Station roads.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is hosting a virtual meeting from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, to gather public opinion on the county’s long-term transportation and infrastructure needs.

In June 2019, the commission adopted the region’s long-range transportation plan called “SmartMoves for a Changing Region,” which includes more than $35 billion in regional transportation projects for the next 25 years. Tuesday’s meeting is part of the its effort to periodically update the plan.

The New Castle Area Transit Authority will be looking to better market itself and its services over the next couple of years.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission presented the marketing plan for the authority for fiscal years 2022-2025 during the authority’s board meeting in March. The SPC helped work on the plan with the authority.

The marketing plan is part of the implementation of the PennDOT Act 44 performance review action plan originally outlined in the NCATA performance system review report of 2018.

The authority will work to market to commuters who ride between three and five days a week, workers, students in high school and college, senior citizens and people with disabilities, as well as tourists.