First Steps Driving School

09/03/2021

I am pleased to share the announcement that The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced its fifth annual PennDOT Innovations Challenge, which encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers. The Innovations Challenge is open to all students in grades 9-12, regardless of their school’s learning model.



Taking Pennsylvania’s diverse demographics into consideration, this year’s Innovations Challenge asks students to develop a comprehensive and cost-effective public engagement strategy, beyond the current public engagement procedures (outlined in Publication 295) that uses innovative technologies and tools that PennDOT can implement to more effectively engage and connect with all age groups during the transportation planning and project development process.



For complete Innovations Challenge details, visit www.penndot.gov/innovation and scroll down to select the blue Innovations Challenge tile box. The submission deadline is Dec. 17, 2021.



Please share this information with all faculty members and encourage all eligible students within your school to participate.



For questions or more information, email PennDOT’s Bureau of Innovations at [email protected].



This is a great opportunity to all students and not just those enrolled in driver education.



Sincerely,



John V. Kashatus

School Safety Education Advisor

Pennsylvania Department of Education

Bureau of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction

Division of Instructional Quality

333 Market Street 5th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Phone: 717.783-4382 l Fax: 717.234-4071

[email protected]



“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

Through process and quality improvement initiatives, such as Governor Wolf's LeanPA initiative, PennDOT remains committed to developing innovative and smart approaches to doing business. Though the LeanPA initiative may be newer to the Commonwealth, Lean thinking is not new to PennDOT.

07/07/2020

We have a few openings left in July and August and we are booking for the upcoming school year. Please contact us at 412-860-8846 or check us at Firststepsdrivingschool.com.

Please share. Thank you.
Chris Stewart

06/24/2019

First Steps Driving School is looking for educators who are interested in a great part time job. Great pay, tax write offs and more. If interested please call or text 412-860-8836.

www.firststepsdrivingschool.com

Please share. We are looking for some great people.

Our instructors are all PA state certified teachers with coaching experience. We're currently servicing students in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh.

10/25/2016

Our instructors are all PA state certified teachers with coaching experience. We're currently servicing students in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh.

02/11/2016

Upcoming Elimination of Registration Stickers Holds Benefits for
Customers/Law Enforcement

2/10/2016-

Harrisburg, PA – At the invitation of PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards, legislators and law enforcement officers today received a demonstration of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology that provides law enforcement a better tool to verify expired vehicle registrations.

"License plate reader technology allows a single law enforcement officer to quickly, accurately and reliably check the status of thousands of license plates on a single shift using information from PennDOT's registration database to determine if there are expired registrations or lack of insurance for the vehicle," said Richards. "It is a true force multiplier."

Plate reader technology holds numerous advantages over the visual inspection of registration stickers, which can be counterfeited, sold, affixed to dead plates or applied to plates for which they were not intended. By querying the registration information using ALPR technology, a law enforcement officer
can identify expired vehicle registrations and insurance coverage. If there is something wrong, the officer would be immediately alerted by the ALPR of a problem with the vehicle's registration.

To help law enforcement to prepare for the provision of Act 89 of 2013 that eliminates issuance of vehicle registration stickers by 2017, PennDOT is proposing a grant program utilizing the savings from the elimination of the registration stickers. The grant program could provide grants to law enforcement officers for the purchase and maintenance of license plate readers.

With the elimination of registration stickers beginning January 1, 2017, customers will see a significant benefit in increased convenience when renewing vehicle registrations.

"Without the registration sticker, the future of Pennsylvania vehicle owners certainly looks brighter with respect to the registration renewal process," said Richards. "By further leveraging technology, we can make renewing your vehicle's registration and having an immediate, permanent registration
credential in hand as easy as spending a few minutes online from your home computer."

Beginning January 1, 2017, customers who renew online will be able save a copy of and print a permanent registration card on demand. Future plans also include allowing customers to eventually upload their registration cards to their smart phones and eliminate the requirement to print a copy altogether.

Further savings will be realized in reduced mailing costs. Currently, 40 percent of customers already renew vehicle registrations online. Eliminating the need to mail these customers a registration sticker coupled with the ability to print their registration card on demand will eliminate more than $2 million per year in mailing costs. In addition, the elimination of the
registration stickers will save $1 million a year in product costs,
bringing the estimated first year savings to approximately $3.1 million.

The last registration sticker will be issued December 30, 2016. Customers will still need to have their vehicles registered and inspected, but will not be required to display a registration sticker on their license plate after December 31, 2016.

For more information on the plan to eliminate registration stickers, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov and look under the Registration Stickers tab under Vehicle Registration. The elimination of the registration sticker was evaluated as
part of a Penn State University research study that concluded eliminating the registration sticker would have no impact on compliance with vehicle registration laws. A copy of the study is on the Driver and Vehicle Services webpage at www.dmv.pa.gov at the Registration Stickers tab under Vehicle Registration.

12/14/2015

Gov. Wolf Announces Partnership With Waze Connected Citizens Program to Improve Traveler Information

12/14/2015- PennDOT Modernizes Traffic Management Through New Data Exchange Partnership

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced travel information available for Pennsylvania roadways is being expanded through a free, two-way data-sharing partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Waze (www.waze.com), a real-time crowdsourced navigation app through which drivers share road conditions.

"As travelers rely more and more on their smartphones for real-time traffic data, this new partnership represents yet another way PennDOT is modernizing to keep up with the demands of its customers," Governor Wolf said.

The program promotes more efficient traffic monitoring by sharing free, anonymous, crowd sourced incident reports and slow-down data from Waze users (called Wazers). Waze will receive PennDOT's road condition reporting data to
share with its users, while the department will use data reported by Wazers to supplement internal traffic-condition monitoring.

"PennDOT is always looking for ways to make it easier and safer to travel on our roadways," PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said. "This partnership will advance our efforts in showing a government that works by improving our data while providing verified information through the app."

According to Waze, Philadelphia has more than 417,000 active users per month and Pittsburgh has more than 80,000 active users per month. The mission of Waze Connected Citizens Program is to help Wazers, as well as cities and citizens
collaborate to improve their community and answer the question "What's happening on our roads right now, and where?"

"Waze is only as strong as the information it receives from its users," said Paige Fitzgerald, Connected Citizens Program Manager at Waze. "With many Pennsylvanians already using Waze and partnerships with more than 25 U.S. municipalities including the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Waze already enables and empowers drivers. Our goal is to further connect Pennsylvania cities through this data exchange. The immense data PennDOT can contribute to Waze makes them an important partner moving forward."

Deep technical knowledge is not required to be selected as a partner of the Connected Citizens Program. It is critical that prospective partners prove their dedication to citizen engagement and commit to use Waze data to improve city efficiency. Partners are also expected to measure and share their findings
with other municipal organizations, developing case studies that serve as keys to a global set of improvements which can be made for collective mobility.

To find out more about Connected Citizens visit
http://waze.com/connectedcitizens. To download the free Waze app for iOS or

Android, visit http://www.waze.com.

Waze is the world's largest community based traffic and navigation app. Join other drivers in your area who share real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute.

12/03/2015

Gov. Wolf Announces System To Reduce Wait Times For Drivers

12/3/2015-General

Harrisburg, PA – As part of Governor Wolf’s GO-TIME initiative, PennDOT is now relying on a new monitoring system to check wait times at Driver License Centers and take immediate steps to make improvements for customers.

“This new system is a great example of innovation in state government,” Governor Wolf said. “Something as simple as a software upgrade can not only improve the customer experience, but help agencies such as PennDOT operate more efficiently and transparently.”

Through the deployment of a software upgrade call ‘Orchestra,’ Driver and Vehicle Service managers can monitor wait times at 27 Driver License Centers around the state in real time and deploy additional resources in response, PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said.

“We at PennDOT know that people rely on us for critical transportation services and one of the most important is Driver and Vehicle Services,” Richards said. “When people come to us, they want a quick, no-hassle experience. This new system to monitor wait times is one way we are working to deliver that kind
of quality service.”

Richards added that at one of PennDOT’s busiest centers in Malvern, Chester County, the new system prompted PennDOT to add an extra camera to its photo license operation and expand hours of operation. As a result, wait times were cut from 90 minutes to less than 30 minutes.

Through the Governor's Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management and Efficiency (GO-TIME), state agencies are working to increase efficiency, improve service, and generate savings through inter-agency collaboration,external partnerships, and citizen engagement. These efforts are expected to generate up to $150 million in savings in the current fiscal year.

The 'Orchestra' system is part of a GO-TIME project involving multiple initiatives through which PennDOT is modernizing, improving customer service and safety, and enhancing and expanding intra-agency partnerships.

“PennDOT is committed to delivering value to the people of Pennsylvania,” Richards said. “Governor Wolf demands nothing less of us and we are delivering on his promise of government that works.”

PennDOT plans to add the system to another 23 Driver License Centers with the highest customer volumes.

05/20/2014

First Steps Driving School

Summer Special
33% off 30-Hour Online Driver Theory Course
Summer Price $50
- (Regular Price $75)

Benefits on First Steps Driving School Online Course
- Approved Department of Education of Pennsylvania
- Help Reduce Car Insurance
- Help Prepare for Learner's Permit
- Adds to Knowledge about how to operate a vehicle safely
- Students can work at his or her own pace
- Course written by PA Driver Education teacher of 13+ years of teaching students how to drive safely
- Course is good for any student in the entire state of PA

Must call 412-860-8836 for details and to sign-up.

Please share with family and friends.

Offer expires August 31, 2014

Thank you and drive safe,

Chris Stewart
Owner & Operator
First Steps Driving School
Located in Lower Burrell, PA