The Williamsport Area Transportation Study approved a long-range funding plan for road and bridge projects at its meeting Friday.
Lycoming County Transportation Director Mark Murawski said the $235 million plan is based on anticipated funding streams.
"It's more of a maintenance plan," Murawski said. "Our guaranteed money is for the first years of the plan."
Every county must approve such plans to be eligible for the federal dollars that would fund a myriad of local projects, he noted.
Kevin Kilpatrick, River Valley Transit planning manager, said bus ridership increased slightly between fiscal year 2010 and 2011.
That continues a trend in which ridership has increased every year since 2006, despite figures revealing many public transit systems nationwide are losing passengers.
Overall, River Valley Transit surpassed 1.3 million passenger rides for the first time.
"We are happy with our progress," he said.
Harvey Katz, of Montoursville, raised the issue of stream siltation.
He said the state needs to better address the issue, often occurring as the result of runoff from dirt and gravel roads and farms.
WATS Chairwoman Sandy Tosca, a state Department of Transportation employee, agreed that it is a problem, but not one easy to solve.
"I would say various municipalities do try," she said.
Funding, however, is a problem, she added.
She did note that the state probably has fewer dirt and gravel roads than ever.
Murawski and Williamsport Regional Airport Executive Director Thomas Hart discussed the $13.6 million airport terminal building project.
Murawski said the existing building has inefficiencies, including with its baggage system.
"We need to have a modern facility in play," he said.
Hart said the new L-shaped terminal will be relocated east of the site of the existing terminal, which will be razed.
He called it the most "cost-effective" of several building projects considered and could allow for expansion.
For the local area to not only survive but thrive economically, a bigger and more modern terminal is needed, according to Murawski.
"It has to get done," he said.
Hart said air passenger service is up 7.8 percent from last year.
In addition, passenger service is up more than 15 percent in August of this year compared to the same month in 2011.
