Planners Find Support for Rail Transit Connection from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia

MoveLV: Long Range Transportation Plan process is finding support for the rebirth of defunct rail transit corridor between the Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem and the City of Brotherly Love.

1 minute read

October 16, 2015, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Philadelphia SEPTA Station

Tupungato / Shutterstock

"A rebirth of the long-ago rail route between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley is among the possibilities being considered in a two-year study looking at transportation options for the quickly growing region," reports Jason Laughlin.

The the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's "MoveLV: Long Range Transportation Plan" is amidst a two-year planning effort exploring the best transportation options for the Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem region. Initial public surveys show support for a major rail project, according to Laughlin.

"The study will estimate the costs of rail service to Philadelphia and recommend who might operate it. Even if rail is determined a viable option, it would be a decade or two before trains start running again. The study will look at a range of transportation options…including a rail line to New York and expanded bus service in the region and to Philadelphia and New York."

The article includes more detail about the funding obstacles that would have to be overcome to achieve the goal of delivering the rail line in the quickly growing region.

Thursday, October 15, 2015 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

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