For those wondering about the progress in bringing back passenger rail service to the Lehigh Valley, a big day is almost here.
PennDOT will present its long-awaited Lehigh Valley Passenger Rail Study at a virtual meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. March 27. Those wanting to attend can do so by clicking www.tinyurl.com/LVTSPR0324.
During Wednesday morning’s Lehigh Valley Transportation Study Technical Committee meeting, secretary Becky Bradley said it will be the first time the organization will see the report, so a second meeting will be held in May after studying it and allowing for public comment.
“I just wanted to thank PennDOT because they didn’t have to do the thing they did,” said Bradley, who is also executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. “We’ve been assured that it’s consistent with federal rules and regulations for consideration of passenger rail.”
She said the study will have new components that include “a bunch of partners” having to come to an agreement in order to move forward with the project.
“I understand we’ll hear more about that than other previous studies that didn’t necessarily have all those components,” Bradley said.
Bradley said that if the decision is made to move forward, “then we should be in good shape for the series of other studies that I’ve also learned are necessary for the process. That’s about all I know right now, but it is a special meeting.”
The $300,000 study, which is being funded and administered by PennDOT, started in August 2022 and was scheduled to be completed last fall. However, delays from the consultant slowed things down. The report will examine 12 potential rail corridors that could provide service to New York, Philadelphia or Reading.
There was concern about the Lehigh Valley’s passenger rail status last year when similar projects in Scranton and Reading were each accepted into the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program and received $500,000 in federal funding to complete a service plan. Bradley has said that the status of the other projects does not affect the one for the Valley.
The Lehigh Valley will have to present its PennDOT plan before being accepted into the program.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at [email protected].
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