Section 4. Thomas D. Larson Memorial Highway.
(a) Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Thomas D. Larson served as Secretary of
Transportation from 1979 to 1987 during Governor Richard
Thornburgh's administration.
(2) Thomas D. Larson is recognized as the individual who
was instrumental in reforming the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation and making it a national model of
professionalism and innovation.
(3) After completing his service as secretary, Thomas D.
Larson was sworn in as Federal Highway Administrator on
August 10, 1989, and served until 1993.
(4) During his tenure as Federal Highway Administrator,
he played an important role in the crafting of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) (Public
Law 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914).
(5) Before and after his public service to the
Commonwealth and the United States, Thomas D. Larson also
distinguished himself as a researcher and professor of civil
and environmental engineering at The Pennsylvania State
University, College of Engineering, and in preparing the next
generation of transportation professionals.
(6) Pennsylvania lost a dedicated public servant,
teacher and community leader on July 20, 2006.
(b) Designation.--U.S. Route 322 in Harris, College and Patton Townships, Centre County, from Segment Nos. 450/748 to 570/000 is hereby designated as the Thomas D. Larson Memorial Highway.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under subsection (b).