Transportation in the Lehigh Valley

Recently, a member of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission visited our class and delivered an interesting lecture. The Lehigh Valley, which is comprised of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton has a current population of about 650,000. From 2000-2010, the valley experienced the highest in-migration in the nation's history and by 2040, the population of the Lehigh Valley is expected to be as high as 875,000. This growth clearly puts a much higher demand on the transportation network and a key question that engineers and planners in the area are trying to answer is how to deal with this increased demand.

The only public transportation system currently in use in the Lehigh Valley is busing. The implementation of a rail system in the area has been researched and studied but current population size and distribution make it infeasible. However, with such massive growth expected by 2040 I believe this option should be re-evaluated as higher densities, especially along Route 22, begin to develop. As is consistently seen in a majority of the rest of the nation, personal automobile is by far the most popular choice of travel. 90% of the trips made in the Lehigh Valley are made by personal automobile. I believe that in order for the valley's transportation system to become more sustainable, this percentage needs to decrease and cars must, in addition, become more efficient. The new standard of 54.5 mpg which is to be enforced by 2025 will help in this quest towards sustainability.

A major issue which our speaker pointed out is the growing need to balance jobs and housing. This balance is important as it allows for a strong, sustainable economy centered around a thriving urban core. Other issues to consider are the locations of the population, the fact that the population is aging, and degradation of existing transportation infrastructure. Pennsylvania has the highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the nation and because the funds needed to resolve this issue are not available in enough quantity, this is a growing concern. The fact that we have recognized these concerns is the first step towards solving them. As we move towards a much higher-populated area in the near future, the Lehigh Valley must have adjustments made to not only its transportation network, but its infrastructure as a whole.