Jet24/Fox66 News, July 1, 2020
On July 1, Erie City Council members Allen, Brennan, Keys and Schaaf voted to TABLE the Resolution to initiate construction of PennDOT’s $100 million dollar Bayfront “Parkway” plan that will expand the existing roadway and help double the number of motorcycles, cars, vans, trucks, buses and tractor-trailers along the waterfront. - most of which are using the lakeside route to “cut through” the City of Erie. For full transparency, City Council needs to hold a STUDY SESSION inviting members of the ERIE BAYFRONT COALITION as well as PennDOT to discuss the need for a full environmental review of this massive confusingly named project. (Parkways are landscaped roadways within (or connecting to a park). Parkways are not open to commercial traffic, especially trucks, tractor trailers and other heavy vehicles. Thus, the roadway along Erie’s waterfront isn’t a parkway, and, the proposed $100 million PennDOT vehicular improvements (wide roadways and shoulders, double-lane roundabouts, an underpass, exit ramps) - along with a ban on roadway parking and a lack of street trees - will move the roadway even closer to a highway designation.