Despite 80% of survey respondents wanting a reduction in volume on Erie's waterfront parkway and improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the city's waterfront, PennDOT plans instead to double traffic as part of a $120 million high-speed bypass.
A lawsuit filed this month in U.S. District Court accusing the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation of rushing through a road building project opponents say will further segment historically marginalize, environmental justice communities near downtown Erie.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Erie Unit (NAACP – Erie Unit) and Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), filed a lawsuit this month challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the Erie Bayfront Parkway Project, according to a press release from Earthjustice, the nonprofit public interest environmental law organization representing the plaintiffs.
According to the press release, PennDOT violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Federal Aid Highway Act by failing to examine the project’s potentially significant impacts. "The lawsuit filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania seeks a full environmental analysis, as well as adequate and documented public review of alternative parkway project designs before expanding the Bayfront Parkway — a major road that runs through Erie’s waterfront."
The press release includes more details on the planning and engineering process that provoked the lawsuit, along with soundbites from officials with the plaintiffs about the potential impact of the project.
FULL STORY: Groups File Lawsuit Challenging PennDOT and FHA’s Vehicles-First Erie Bayfront Parkway Project
Lawsuit Challenges Maryland's Big Highway Widening Plans
A lawsuit has challenged Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's plans, first proposed in 2017 and granted federal approval earlier this year, to widen Interstate 270 and part of the Capital Beltway.
Minneapolis 2040 Implementation Allowed to Proceed … For Now
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Upzoning Modestly Increases Housing Supply and Affordability, Study Says
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British Columbia Asserts Provincial Control Over Density
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Opinion: Surprised by Your Neighborhood’s Walkability Score? Don't Be.
A cautionary tale of using indices.
$14 Billion in Federal Transit Funding Announced
The annual formula funding grants support transit facilities and maintenance, electrification and equipment upgrades, and expansion of service.
Philadelphia Mayor Hopefuls Want More Affordable Housing on Vacant Lots
Many of the candidates agree that a slow, complex sales process and strong councilmanic prerogative hinder the development of city-owned lots.
Why Infrastructure Costs So Much
A new book details what planners already know: cost estimates for major infrastructure projects are usually a farce. Another book foretells just how much new infrastructure will be needed in the coming waves of climate migration.
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