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
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The Welsh government is taking a bold stand for climate action.
L.A. Metro Denounces—but Doesn't Scrap—710 Freeway Expansion Plan
The agency's board members spoke out forcefully against air pollution and displacement, but stopped short of completely rejecting the project, looking instead to cleaner vehicles and regulations that mitigate community concerns.
PennDOT Sees Dollars for Interstate Widenings in Biden's Jobs Plan
Despite the narrative about infrastructure spending priorities shifting toward emissions-reducing investments in the American Jobs Plan, the car-centric status quo expects more of the same.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.
Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport
Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.
Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?
Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
