TRANSPORTATION

Committees

The Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (LVTS) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Lehigh and Northampton Counties.  The body was formed in 1964 in response to the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962, which stated that any urban area with a population exceeding 50,000 must maintain a transportation planning process in order to be eligible for federal transportation funds.

 

The LVTS is comprised of two committees - the Technical Committee and Coordinating Committee.  The Technical Committee is an advisory body to the Coordinating Committee, reviewing plans, programs, and various other items brought before them for review and recommendation to the Coordinating Committee.  The Coordinating Committee is the policy body which formally adopts items reviewed by the Technical Committee.

 

Since 2016, the Freight Advisory Committee has been advisory to the LVTS on all goods movement issues, studies and projects, and the development of a functional and efficient freight system. The Committee will consider the movement of freight to and from manufacturing sites, cities/downtown areas, intermodal facilities, warehouses, and utilities, as well as the region's freight transportation network (i.e., highways, railroads, ports, airports, and pipelines).

JOINT TECHNICAL + COORDINATING COMMITTEE

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 9 AM

 Attending the meeting can be done by using this link to www.tinyurl.com/LVTS2023
From there, using “the web app instead” function will enable anyone to see the meeting and chat by computer.

Those who would also like to speak during the courtesy of the floor portion of the meeting can do it by calling 610-477-5793 and using the Conference ID: 766 120 634#.

LRTP PROJECT LIST

2023 LVTS TIP

Coordinating Committee


next joint meeting
Wednesday, December 20, 2023

 



 

Coordinating Committee Voting Members

Chair: Lamont McClure, Executive,
Northampton County

Vice Chair: Christopher Kufro, Executive,
PennDOT District 5

Secretary: Becky A. Bradley, AICP, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Executive Director

Matthew Tuerk, City of Allentown
David Petrik (Alt.), City of Allentown

J. William Reynolds, City of Bethlehem
Michael Alkhal (Alt.), City of Bethlehem

Salvatore J. Panto, Jr., City of Easton
David Hopkins (Alt.), City of Easton

Phillips Armstrong, Lehigh County
Richard Molchany (Alt.), Lehigh County

Owen O'Neil, Lehigh and Northampton
Transportation Authority

Thomas Stoudt, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority

Brian Hare, PE, PennDOT Central
Jim Mosca (Alt.), PE, PennDOT Central

 

Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every other month, starting in February at 9:00 am

December 20, 2023*

* Virtual Meeting

Technical Committee


next meeting
TBA

 

 

Technical Committee Voting Members

Chair: Brendan Cotter, Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority

Vice Chair: Ryan Meyer, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority

Secretary: Becky A. Bradley, AICP, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Executive Director

Matthew Tuerk, City of Allentown
Mark Hartney (Alt.), City of Allentown

J. William Reynolds, City of Bethlehem
Darlene Heller (Alt.), City of Bethlehem

Salvatore J. Panto Jr., City of Easton
David Hopkins (Alt.), City of Easton

Jennifer Ruth, PennDOT District 5-0

David Alas, PennDOT Central

 

Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every other month, starting in January at 9:00am

 

* Virtual Meeting

  • Current Transportation Improvement Program Amendments

    There are three Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendments for consideration at the July 19, 2023 Joint Technical and Coordinating Committee’s Meeting of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (LVTS).

     

    Proposed TIP Amendment #1, July 19, 2023

    Fish Hatchery Road Bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek – Addition to the 2023-2026 TIP, Increase of $800,000 (MPMS #119933)

    This project, located in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County, is being proposed as an addition to the TIP. Funding will be allocated for the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the project, which includes initial analysis and design work needed for the project.

    Funding Source: The LVTS Highway + Bridge Line Item will provide $800,000 of available   Bridges Off-System (BOF) funds.

    Fiscal Constraint Chart for Fish Hatchery Road Bridge (Click here)

     

    Proposed TIP Amendment #2, July 19, 2023

    Limeport Pike Bridge over the Hosensack Creek – Addition to the 2023-2026 TIP, Increase of $400,000 (MPMS #119936)

    This project, located in Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County, is being proposed as an addition to the TIP. Funding will be allocated for the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the project, which includes initial analysis and design work needed for the project.

    Funding Source: The LVTS Highway + Bridge Line Item will provide $400,000 of available   Bridges Off-System (BOF) funds.

    Fiscal Constraint Chart for Limeport Pike Bridge (Click here)

     

    Proposed TIP Amendment #3, July 19, 2023

    Lower Saucon Road Bridge over the East Branch of the Saucon Creek – Addition to the 2023-2026 TIP, Increase of $400,000 (MPMS #119940)

    This project, located in Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, is being proposed as an addition to the TIP. Funding will be allocated for the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the project, which includes initial analysis and design work needed for the project.

    Funding Source: The LVTS Highway + Bridge Line Item will provide $400,000 of available   Bridges Off-System (BOF) funds.

    Fiscal Constraint Chart for Lower Saucon Road Bridge (Click here)

     

    Proposed TIP Amendment #4, July 19, 2023

    Church Road Bridge over a Tributary to the Little Bushkill Creek – Addition to the 2023-2026 TIP, Increase of $400,000 (MPMS #12106)

    This project, located in Plainfield Township, Northampton County, is being proposed as an addition to the TIP. Funding will be allocated for the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the project, which includes initial analysis and design work needed for the project.

    Funding Source: The LVTS Highway + Bridge Line Item will provide $400,000 of available   Bridges Off-System (BOF) funds.

    Fiscal Constraint Chart for Church Road Bridge (Click here)

     

    Proposed TIP Amendment #5, July 19, 2023

    Riverside Drive RAISE Grant – Revision of Addition to the TIP, Increase of $40,498,854 (MPMS # 118070)

    This addition to the TIP is required by the US Department of Transportation to reflect the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant in the amount of $40,498,854 for the Riverside Drive project, which is in the City of Allentown and Whitehall Township. This amendment was proposed to be added to the TIP in the amount of$35,264,756  in June and acted upon by both the LVTS Technical and Coordinating Committees. Between the June 21, 2023 meeting of the LVTS Technical and Coordinating Committees, the rights-of-way appraisal, constituting the third-party project match to the RAISE grant was completed and is higher by $5,234,098.  This raises the match from $14,105,902 to $19,340,000 and is proposed to be added to the project.

    Funding Sources: This project is funded by a US Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant in the amount of $21,158,854 with $19,340,000 local match per the grant agreement for a total of $40,498,854.

    Fiscal Constraint Chart for Riverside Drive (Click here)

     

     

     

Metropolitan Area Planning Forum Annual Meeting

June 2, 2023

 

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is a member of a multistate transportation planning consortium named the “Metropolitan Area Planning Forum.”  The 2023 Spring Meeting of the entity will occur on Friday June 2, 2023 at 10:00 am. This meeting will be hosted by the Capitol Region Council of Governments as a virtual meeting.

 

Registration is required and can be accessed at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlcO6pqzguE9XRTbbcPzKMUBhy5VYsgLCK. The meeting agenda is found in the link below.

VIEW AGENDA

Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization
Corridor Project

  • click here for more information on riverside drive

    LEHIGH VALLEY TRANSPORTATION STUDY (LVTS) NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD

    AND PUBLIC MEETINGS

     

    The LVTS is seeking your input and has opened a public comment period for Air Quality Conformity Determination and proposed amendments to FutureLV: The Regional Plan (the Lehigh Valley’s Long-Range Transportation Plan) and the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (2023-2026 TIP).

     

    The public comment period is open from Wednesday, April 19, 2023 to Friday, May 19, 2023.

     

    The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $21.16 million of discretionary RAISE grant funding to the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study for the Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor. The Riverside Drive project is an alternative transportation corridor that will help reduce vehicular emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy consumption as a strategic congestion mitigation investment by connecting existing transit routes, sidewalks, trails, bikeways, and roadways and enhancing emergency response to areas of Route 22 our highest traveled highway segment in the Lehigh Valley. The project will convert approximately 2 miles of an abandoned railroad bed along the west side of the Lehigh River in Whitehall Township and the City of Allentown, Lehigh County, from just Lehigh Avenue to Furnace Street to a complete two-lane street with an adjacent multi-use path. The multi-use path will continue north to connect to the existing Delaware and Lehigh (D&L) Trail just north of race street. The project will also convert another 450 feet of an abandoned railroad bed between Hamilton Street and Union Street within the City of Allentown to complete the southern terminus of Riverside Drive.

     

    Additional information, including the Air Quality Conformity Analysis and the Environmental Justice Report, can be found at the button below and at the following locations:

     

     

    Allentown Public Library | 1210 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18102

     

    Bethlehem Public Library | 11 W Church St, Allentown, PA 18018

     

    Easton Public Library | 515 Church St, Easton, PA 18042

     

    LANTA Office | 1060 Lehigh St, Allentown, PA 18103

     

    LVPC Office | 961 Marcon Blvd, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109

     

    PennDOT District 5-0 Office | 1002 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18101

     

    Whitehall Township Public Library | 3700 Mechanicsville Rd, Whitehall, PA 18052

     

    VIEW DOCUMENTS

    Public meetings to collect comments on the project will be held on:

     

    Monday, May 8 | 7 PM: Whitehall Municipal Building - 3219 MacArthur Rd, Whitehall, PA 18052

     

    Thursday, May 11 | 7 PM: Bucky Boyle Park Training Room - 10 Pump Place, Allentown, PA 18102

     

    Wednesday, May 17 | 9 AM: LVTS Technical Committee Meeting - www.tinyurl.com/LVTS2023

    Comments on the draft documents will be accepted by the LVTS during the public meetings, by email to planning@lvpc.org, by phone at 610-264-4544, or through the comment box below.

    Submitting Form...

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    Form received.

    All comments must be received by Friday, May 19, 2023.

     

    Upon consideration of public comments received, the LVTS will consider approval of the draft documents at their virtual meeting at 9AM on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. This meeting can be accessed at www.tinyurl.com/LVTS2023.

TITLE VI PUBLIC NOTICE

The LEHIGH VALLEY TRANSPORTATION STUDY (MPO) is committed to compliance with nondiscrimination requirements of

civil rights statutes, executive orders, regulations and policies applicable to the programs and activities it administers.

Accordingly, the MPO is dedicated to ensuring that program beneficiaries receive public participation opportunities without

regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or economic status. Meeting facilities are accessible to persons with

disabilities and the location is reachable by public transit. The MPO will provide auxiliary services for individuals with

language, speech, sight or hearing impediments provided the request for assistance is made 14 days prior to the meeting.

The MPO will attempt to satisfy other requests, as it is able. Please make your request for auxiliary services to

planning@lvpc.org 610-264-4544. If you believe you have been denied participation opportunities, or otherwise discriminated against in relation to the programs or activities administered by the MPO, you may file a complaint using the procedures provided in our complaint process document or by contacting planning@lvpc.org or 610-264-4544.

 

AVISO PUBLICO DEL TITULO VI

El ESTUDIO DE TRANSPORTE DE LEHIGH VALLEY (Organización Metropolitana de Planificación [MPO, Metropolitan

Planning Organization]) está comprometido con el cumplimiento de los requisitos de no discriminación de las leyes de

derechos civiles, los decretos ejecutivos, los reglamentos y las políticas correspondientes a los programas y las actividades

que administra. Por ende, la MPO se dedica a garantizar que los beneficiarios de un programa reciban oportunidades de

participación pública sin tener en cuenta su raza, color, país de origen, sexo, edad, discapacidad o situación económica. Las

instalaciones para reuniones son accesibles para las personas con discapacidades y se puede llegar a su ubicación usando

el transporte público. La MPO brindará servicios auxiliares para personas con impedimentos lingüísticos o problemas de

habla, vista o audición, siempre y cuando la solicitud de asistencia se haga 14 días antes de la reunión. La MPO intentará

responder a otras solicitudes, según sus posibilidades. Solicite servicios auxiliares llamando a planning@lvpc.org o al

610-264-4544. Si cree que le negaron oportunidades de participación o que lo discriminaron de otra manera en relación con

los programas o las actividades que administra la MPO, puede presentar una queja siguiendo los procedimientos que figuran en nuestro documento de proceso de queja o comunicándose con planning@lvpc.org or 610-264-4544.

 

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

961 Marcon Boulevard - Suite 310

Allentown, PA 18109

Phone: (610) 264-4544

Toll Free: (888) 627-8808