Is the Lehigh Valley the next 'Inland Empire'?

The Morning Call

September 7, 2016

Marijuana is included on Schedule I of the US Controlled Substances Act and is considered illegal under federal law. However, in 2013 the US Department of Justice issued guidance to federal prosecutors to largely abstain from action against a person who is in compliance with a state marijuana statue [Cole 2013]. Several states, including the District of Columbia, began enacting legislation legalizing marijuana on the heels of the Department of Justice memorandum. And, on April 17, 2016 the Pennsylvania Legislature enacted the Medical Marijuana Act [P.L. 84, No.16], making the Commonwealth the 25th state to legalize the substance.

 

<CLICK HERE FOR FULL MEMORANDUM>

 

 

DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) GOAL FOR FEDERAL FISCAL YEARS 2017-2019

 

The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) hereby announces its proposed Federal Fiscal Years 2017 through 2019 goal of 5.28 percent of applicable federal funds for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation.  A description of the goal and how it was determined is available for review during normal business hours, for 30 calendar days following the date of this notice by contacting:

 

Owen P. O’Neil, Executive Director, LANTA,

1060 Lehigh Street

Allentown, PA 18103,

Phone: 610-435-4052

or through the LANTA website:

lantabus.com/dbe-program/

 

Written comments on the goals may be submitted until August 31, 2016 to the address above or to ooneil@lantabus-pa.gov.

 

Interested DBE firms are encouraged to register in LANTA’s vendor database at:

http://www.lantabus.com/vendor-registration-form/

 

By: Owen P. O’Neil

LANTA Executive Director

July 26, 2016

 

 

The Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (LVTS) on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 awarded the investment of $1.27 million in support of innovative regional and local Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) projects. Twenty-three (23) municipal application requests competed for an award with the collective ask totaling more than $9 million.

 

<CLICK HERE FOR PDF OF PRESS RELEASE>

<CLICK HERE FOR TAP PAGE>

 

 

In December 2015, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) released the 2010-2014 Housing Market Report. The report is the continuation of two previous reports, titled Home Buying During Economic Uncertainty: Housing Sales in the Lehigh Valley, PA 2008-2012 and Housing in the Lehigh Valley published by the LVPC in 2014 and 2009, respectively. In addition, the 2014 Regional Housing Plan, a comprehensive look at housing opportunities in the Lehigh Valley, had a portion revisited through the lens of housing sales in the report. The Housing Market Report provides valuable information for municipal staff, elected officials, housing professionals and the general public on housing sales.

 

Link to full article

 

 

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC), in partnership with Northampton County, completed Livable Landscapes An Open Space Plan for Northampton County (Plan), which was adopted by the County on Thursday, January 7, 2016. The purpose of the Plan is to guide the conservation, restoration and enhancement of the County’s open space resources and create linkages between natural resources; outdoor recreational facilities; greenways and blueways; farmland; and historic, cultural and scenic resources.

 

Link to full article

 

 

The Lehigh Valley Return on Environment (ROE) study was completed in 2014 with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities grant program. The purpose for the study was to create conservation leverage, showing that through open space preservation, quality of life can be improved while saving tax dollars and growing the economy. The valuation of open space features will also help prioritize natural areas for conservation.

 

Link to full article

 

 

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Meetings

Link to LVTS Meetings web page

Link to printable PDF

 

Lehigh Valley Transportation Study Meetings

Link to LVTS Meetings web page

Link to printable PDF

 

 

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Berks County Planning Commission, and Bucks County Planning Commission and Albright College’s Center for Excellence in Local Government worked with the League of Women Voters to provide pipeline planning information to our communities at Cedar Crest College in late September 2014.

 

As follow-up, the League of Women Voters has prepared a resource reference document the LVPC Environment Committee would like to share with you.

 

The LVPC is developing a resource center to provide accurate, objective information and support to the region’s municipalities as pipelines become a regular part of our lexicon.

 

Please visit our Pipeline Resource Center for more information.