ALTOONA, Pa. -- If you've ever driven through Altoona during rush hour, you know allowing a few extra minutes is a wise decision. However, now PennDOT has enlisted the help of Blair County residents to clear up traffic problems and avoid even more back-ups we might be seeing soon.

With exits right off Interstate 99 and running the length and the width of the city, 17th Street and Route 764 are main arteries in Altoona. But with Logan Town Centre luring in shoppers, and now the new Altoona Junior High School getting ready to open, PennDOT doesn't want bumper to bumper traffic to always be the name of the game.

"We see those as central to the transportation vitality of the city, so we need to take a look at those to see how they impact the corridors," said PennDOT project manager Brad Brumbaugh.

At a meeting at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona Monday night, PennDOT asked for concerns, ideas and comments from the public. Officials said they needed to know where those problem areas are, before they start exploring ways to fix them.

"We're basically just assessing the needs. That's step one. And once we establish the needs, then we'll be looking at project alternatives to address those needs," said Brumbaugh.