Renew Lehigh Valley will host a Regional Transportation Forum on Monday, April 19 at
the Historic Hotel Bethlehem (437 Main Street, Bethlehem). The program
begins at 6:30 p.m. with an informal reception at 5:30 p.m.
This community forum is an opportunity
to learn about the prospects for restoring passenger rail service in
the Lehigh Valley, as well as to discuss how a balanced regional
transportation system can help promote economic development, the
continued revitalization of the region's core communities, and
sustainable growth in the Lehigh Valley.
Transportation issues were of top concern for Lehigh Valley Young
Professionals at the Your Voice, Your Valley Forum in October 2009.
This forum will help get you up to speed on what's happening with
various transportation issues in the region.
The keynote speaker for the forum is
Shelley Poticha, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD). One of the nation's leading experts on
transportation and transit-oriented development, Ms. Poticha oversees
the Sustainable Communities program, a joint effort between HUD, the
U.S Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Prior to joining HUD, Ms. Poticha was President/CEO of
Reconnecting America, and has also served as the Executive Director of
the Congress for the New Urbanism.
The forum program will include a
Presentation of Findings from the New Regional Transportation Study
(commissioned by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and
the two counties), which includes a preliminary feasibility study of
extending NJ Transit commuter rail westward into the Lehigh Valley,
followed by a Panel Discussion and Q&A on how the Lehigh Valley
Moves Forward on Transportation.
This event is presented by the National Association of REALTORS and the
Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS (LVAR). Event sponsors also
include the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and the
Lehigh Valley Partnership.
