Town Hall scheduled for Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 6:00pm at the Blasco Library’s Hirt Auditorium.

PennDOT’s arterial highway vision for the Erie Bayfront

Community groups are once again organizing to hold another Erie Bayfront Town Hall at 6:00pm on Tuesday, AUGUST 9, 2022 at the Blasco Library’s Hirt Auditorium.

Click here to watch excerpts from the virtual 2020 Erie Bayfront Town Hall by April DeSimone, Michael Fuhrman, Andre’ Horton, Rev. Dr. Charles Mock and Roland Slade that helped spur Earthjustice to file a Federal Civil Rights lawsuit against PennDOT and the Federal Highway Association on behalf of the Erie NAACP and PennFuture. Click here to read about the lawsuit.

Erie Bayfront Lawsuit: 17 months & counting

PennDOT’s unpopular $100 million Lake Erie arterial highway plan is still in court! Check out this April 14, 2022 Bayfront Parkway Litigation Update:

In December 2020, the NAACP Erie Unit and PennFuture, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT to challenge the approval of the Erie Bayfront Parkway Project. The lawsuit argues that the decision to approve the project violates the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Aid Highway Act because PenDOT failed to examine the project’s potential impacts, including impacts on local residents, and failed to hold a public hearing. After the lawsuit was filed, the federal government was required to turned over all of the documents that the agencies reviewed in deciding to approve the project. These documents are called the “administrative record.” 

In September 2021, Earthjustice filed papers asking the court to rule in favor of the NAACP and PennFuture based on the administrative record. Earthjustice made a number of arguments, including that the agencies’ analysis was flawed because it relied on incorrect numbers. The Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT, in turn, asked the court to rule in their favor based on the administrative record. A few days before Earthjustice’s deadline to respond, the federal government’s lawyers filed a notice with the court attempting to change numbers in the administrative record that Earthjustice had relied on to show their analysis was incorrect. In other words, we were correct that their analysis was wrong, and the agencies tried to change the numbers after the fact to support their original decision. Earthjustice opposed the agencies’ filing and argued to the court that the agencies’ attempt to change the record after the fact meant that we should win the case. The judge was interested in this argument and convened a conference to discuss. The night before the conference, the federal government filed two additional documents that should have been included in the administrative record, but were not. These documents directly responded to arguments we raised when we opposed them changing the administrative record.

This type of attempt to change the administrative record so late in the case and so dramatically is extremely unusual, if not unprecedented. At the conference, the judge gave Earthjustice an opportunity to submit additional papers arguing that the case should be resolved in our favor based on the government’s treatment of the administrative record. Now we are waiting for a ruling from the court. There is no deadline by which the court must rule, so it is hard to predict how long it will take, but we hope we will get a ruling within the next few months.

CA legislator Cristina Garcia proposes blocking funding and permits for freeway expansions in underserved communities.

Proposed CA state law seeks to ban freeway expansion in underserved communities suffering poverty, pollution and health issues by blocking funding and permits. Assemblywoman Garcia, the author of the legislation, notes that “freeway widenings frequently fail to resolve traffic congestion because they induce more car trips.”

Pennsylvania needs this kind of legislation to block PennDOT’s waterfront highway expansion plan that will further harm residents of some of the nation’s most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods in the City of Erie zip codes 16501, 16052 and 16503.

PENNDOT'S BAYFRONT PLAN WILL HARM ERIE FOR GENERATIONS

PennDOT’s project prioritizes east-west vehicular traffic, not the north-south pedestrian and bike connections.

PennDOT’s project prioritizes east-west vehicular traffic, not the north-south pedestrian and bike connections.

PODCAST by Strong Towns: Residents Fight Highway (Oct. 2020)

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ERIE READER essay by Austin, Lynch, Slade, Trott: Erie’s Highway Timeline (Feb. 2021)

Erie’s Highway Timeline (Erie Reader, Feb. 10, 2021

Erie’s Highway Timeline (Erie Reader, Feb. 10, 2021

Your Erie’s Sean Lafferty interviews Adam Trott, President of CONNECT URBAN ERIE about PennDOT’s plan for an arterial highway on the waterfront (Feb. 11, 2021)

Your Erie’s Sean Lafferty interviews Adam Trott, President of CONNECT URBAN ERIE about PennDOT’s plan for an arterial highway on the waterfront (Feb. 11, 2021)

AND:

Erie Times-News Michael Fuhrman: PennDOT is trying to solve the wrong problem. (Jan. 2019)

Erie Reader Austin, Trott, Slade: Skip the Highway, Build a Boulevard (2020)

Erie Reader Maxwell J. Hentosh: PennDOT’s plan fails to prioritize people (2020)

The Keystone Associated Press: Why NAACP is suing over planned Highway changes in Erie (2020)

PennDOT's PLAN WILL SEVER CITY FROM BAYFRONT / SIGN THE BAYFRONT HIGHWAY RESOLUTION!

JET TV’s Julia Hazel reports on Connect Urban Erie’s community concerns about vehicle focused Bayfront HIghway plan and shares PennDOT’s misleading responses.

BAYFRONT HIGHWAY RESOLUTION
ConnectUrbanErie.com / September 21, 2021 / Blasco Library

WHEREAS:    
The Bayfront Highway must provide the volume of traffic needed to support the full development of Erie’s Bayfront;

WHEREAS:    
Abundant and convenient connectivity (both vehicular and non-vehicular) between the City of Erie and the Bayfront is critical to the future prosperity and quality of life of Erie residents, and further, that non-vehicular connectivity is a social justice issue;

WHEREAS:    
PENNDOT has clarified that 80% of current Bayfront traffic is using the Bayfront to cut across town and not to serve the Bayfront;

WHEREAS:    
The current design for Parkway improvements will greatly increase the unwanted, induced cross-town traffic load by implementing “Expressway” design methods to improve PennDOT’s “Level of Service” grades that prioritize continuous traffic flow;

WHEREAS:    
The induced cross-town traffic load will impede Bayfront development with unwanted, debilitating traffic volume and congestion on the Bayfront and along the Bayfront Connector, Rt. 290;

WHEREAS:    
This induced cross-town traffic load greatly increases threats and hazards to non-vehicular connectivity between the city and the Bayfront (and along the Rt. 290 corridor) thus causing the current design to fatally restrict Bayfront crossings and the critical connectivity needed by Erie residents that will support sustainable  economic development;

WHEREAS:    
The best traffic and environmental planning is to encourage non-Bayfront destined traffic to use 12th Street and I-90 as the primary routes to get across town, and that these routes are already designed to serve as such;

WHEREAS:    
Such diversion of cross-town traffic to proper routes will already be achieved when traffic detouring is implemented to facilitate the construction work on the Bayfront Parkway improvements;

WHEREAS:    
The current Bayfront Highway congestion is evidence that this unwanted induced traffic load sabotages the primary purpose of supporting Bayfront development;

WHEREAS:    
People accessing the Bayfront areas by vehicle will not be deterred by a few extra minutes on the short stretch of the Bayfront Parkway when they are already near their destination, and thus do not need expressway-like accommodations;

WHEREAS:    
There are already numerous projects around the country that are reducing or even removing such disruptive urban highways so that they can reconnect communities torn apart by such highway projects and can enjoy the resultant prosperity of such connectivity;

THEREFOR: WE CALL FOR PENNDOT TO ADJUST CURRENT PLANS AND INSTEAD REDUCE THE INDUCED CROSS-TOWN (EAST-WEST) VEHICULAR TRAFFIC VOLUMES BY PRIORITIZING NORTH-SOUTH  NON-VEHICULAR CONNECTIVITY AND TRAFFIC CALMING (OVER HARMFUL “LEVEL OF SERVICE” CONCERNS FOR EAST-WEST VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THE BAYFRONT) TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE, ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY OF ERIE, PA.

YOU CAN HELP: SIGN THE BAYFRONT HIGHWAY RESOLUTION

PennDOT’s State Street “cap” plan prioritizes the movement of traffic, not people, while destroying a landmark Mini-Golf course.

PennDOT’s State Street “cap” plan prioritizes the movement of traffic, not people, while destroying a landmark Mini-Golf course.

BAYFRONT HIGHWAY RESOLUTION
ConnectUrbanErie.com / September 21, 2021 / Blasco Library

WHEREAS:    
The Bayfront Highway must provide the volume of traffic needed to support the full development of Erie’s Bayfront;

WHEREAS:    
Abundant and convenient connectivity (both vehicular and non-vehicular) between the City of Erie and the Bayfront is critical to the future prosperity and quality of life of Erie residents, and further, that non-vehicular connectivity is a social justice issue;

WHEREAS:    
PENNDOT has clarified that 80% of current Bayfront traffic is using the Bayfront to cut across town and not to serve the Bayfront;

WHEREAS:    
The current design for Parkway improvements will greatly increase the unwanted, induced cross-town traffic load by implementing “Expressway” design methods to improve PennDOT’s “Level of Service” grades that prioritize continuous traffic flow;

WHEREAS:    
The induced cross-town traffic load will impede Bayfront development with unwanted, debilitating traffic volume and congestion on the Bayfront and along the Bayfront Connector, Rt. 290;

WHEREAS:    
This induced cross-town traffic load greatly increases threats and hazards to non-vehicular connectivity between the city and the Bayfront (and along the Rt. 290 corridor) thus causing the current design to fatally restrict Bayfront crossings and the critical connectivity needed by Erie residents that will support sustainable  economic development;

WHEREAS:    
The best traffic and environmental planning is to encourage non-Bayfront destined traffic to use 12th Street and I-90 as the primary routes to get across town, and that these routes are already designed to serve as such;

WHEREAS:    
Such diversion of cross-town traffic to proper routes will already be achieved when traffic detouring is implemented to facilitate the construction work on the Bayfront Parkway improvements;

WHEREAS:    
The current Bayfront Highway congestion is evidence that this unwanted induced traffic load sabotages the primary purpose of supporting Bayfront development;

WHEREAS:    
People accessing the Bayfront areas by vehicle will not be deterred by a few extra minutes on the short stretch of the Bayfront Parkway when they are already near their destination, and thus do not need expressway-like accommodations;

WHEREAS:    
There are already numerous projects around the country that are reducing or even removing such disruptive urban highways so that they can reconnect communities torn apart by such highway projects and can enjoy the resultant prosperity of such connectivity;

THEREFOR: We call for PennDOT to adjust current plans and instead reduce the induced cross-town (east-west) vehicular traffic volumes by prioritizing north-south  non-vehicular connectivity and traffic calming (over harmful “Level of Service” concerns for east-west vehicular traffic on the Bayfront) to protect the people, environment and economy of Erie, PA.

Connect Urban Erie’s “Bayfront Highway Resolution” shared Sept 21 at Blasco Library.

PennDOT’s plan for the Bayfront includes “highway style ramps” and exits that will require large signage absent from this illustration. PennDOT anticipates at least a doubling of waterfront traffic after their $100M arterial highway project is completed.

PennDOT’s plan for the Bayfront includes “highway style ramps” and exits that will require large signage absent from this illustration. PennDOT anticipates at least a doubling of waterfront traffic after their $100M arterial highway project is completed.

PennDOT’s Bayfront plan is designed connect and keep traffic moving between I-79 and Rt. 290. PennDOT’s project will also increase traffic on Rt. 290 (the only Eastside route to school, work, etc. since the demolition of the Viaduct.)

PennDOT’s Bayfront plan is designed connect and keep traffic moving between I-79 and Rt. 290. PennDOT’s project will also increase traffic on Rt. 290 (the only Eastside route to school, work, etc. since the demolition of the Viaduct.)

The community is invited gather in front of the Blasco Library 4pm, Tuesday, September 21 to consider Connect Urban Erie’s proposed Bayfront Highway Resolution calling for PennDOT to adjust current plans and reduce induced cross-town traffic volumes by prioritizing north-south connectivity and traffic calming.

Adam Trott and Roland Slade of Connect Urban Erie and CIVITAS will outline the ways that PennDOT’s Bayfront plan encourages cross-town traffic, harms city residents and undermines long-term economic development in Erie.

Erie’s Highway Timeline and the impacts of PennDOT’s plan on the residents of the downtown and Eastside (Zip Codes 16501, 16502 and 16503) will be discussed. While vehicular access is necessary to support Bayfront development, PennDOT’s plan rewards the 80% of current drivers from the suburbs, I-79 and Rt. 290 who use the Bayfront to bypass the city. In addition, PennDOT’s plan for elimination of an at-grade pedestrian crossing by removing Holland Street sidewalks, construction of wide lanes, double-lane roundabouts and a highway style underpass and ramps will help double traffic – including inappropriate cross-town traffic -  and increase traffic speed, danger, noise, water and air pollution harming Erie’s residents, the environment and the economy.

Lastly, the Dec. 15, 2020 Federal Lawsuit against PennDOT’s plan (filed by Earth Justice on behalf of the NAACP and PennFuture) will be framed within the national debate regarding Departments of Transportation that deliberately circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirement for a NEPA Environmental Assessment. Allowing engineers to solve urban design planning (and later in the process inviting landscape architects and the community to comment after key decisions have been made) results in car-centric, unsustainable projects that undermine local walkability, connectivity and economic development and continue unlawful redlining of marginalized communities.

Erie residents protest planning process

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On Sunday, March 21, over 100 City of Erie residents of gathered along the Frontier Park neighborhood to challenge the City Engineer’s plan to address the long-neglected, century-old Kahkwa Boulevard Bridge by constructing a new road bypassing the bridge. The proposed route, marked with stakes, is through a dramatic wooded ravine just west of Rosemont Avenue.

Fearful of the danger to residents who regularly walk and ride bikes in this side-walk-less neighborhood and upset by visions of large vehicles overtaking the community’s narrow, winding streets, those who spoke offered concern about the environment and the loss of old-growth trees and animals including owls and foxes. They spoke of the road’s impact on assessments and the resulting loss of city revenue.

Others complained about the secretive nature of this process. The City Engineer’s subsequent claims of transparency, engagement with residents , and statement that “no decisions have been made” were contradicted by several members of the public - and a member of City Council.

It is worth noting that the City Engineer has a troubling track record in planning. His willful disregard for the Eastside community’s need for the McBride Viaduct (2013-2019), and for City Hall’s failure to address the community’s loud rejection of a Bayfront Highway (2019-2021) This flawed planning led to Federal Lawsuits in 2019 and 2020.

Will Westside residents be forced to take legal action to tame the Robert-Moses-”clone” in City Hall?

Autumn Parker explains Redlining

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At the February 202 Erie County Planning Commission meeting, Community Leader Autumn Kelly rocked the zoom with her engaging, informative ten minute presentation on REDLINING and on new group convened by Erie County Councilman Andre’ Horton and Erie City Councilwoman Liz Allen to combat “racism as a public health issue” by bringing the national “Undesign the Redline” project to Erie in 2021 via a new group named ERIWE.