As plans develop to add lanes to a turnpike in Pennsylvania, residents are upset over large losses in property and no provisions for sound barriers.
"The $250 million to $300 million expansion will upgrade the most heavily traveled four-lane stretch of turnpike in Pennsylvania. Turnpike officials have warned some residents that they could lose almost their entire backyards - up to 25 feet - in the expansion, set to begin in earnest in 2011."
"Seven years ago, when the commission announced plans to widen 101/2 miles of the expressway, all of Towamencin was promised a sound wall, residents say."
"But at an April meeting attended by homeowners from the length of the expansion, officials said that some communities would receive no wall."
"It will be at least a year before the Turnpike Commission tells residents how much land it will take. Until then, those in Moyer's enclave - like homeowners in several Plymouth, Whitpain, Upper Gwynedd, and Worcester Township neighborhoods - are wrangling over measures to make post-expansion life more bearable."
"Towamencin residents say they are the victims of flawed acoustical studies that the Turnpike Commission will not let them see."
FULL STORY: Homeowners don't like the sound of no barriers
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie