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
Misuse of Environmental Laws Betrays Their Intent
How laws written to protect natural resources and biodiversity are being reinterpreted by NIMBY groups to block development.
Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback
The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.
NJ v. U.S. DOT: Cordon Pricing in Manhattan
The State of New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday to halt the Manhattan cordon pricing project approved in June by the FHWA, charging that they violated the National Environmental Protection Act.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service