Transportation News

Courts weigh the benefits of punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott said the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, allocated based on BPD data recorded in the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, would allow her department to expand surveillance and protect everyone using city roadways.

Increased stress due to everyday life, like politics or the economy, coupled with habitual, risky behaviors distracting the driver from the road, can create a slippery slope, ripe for crashes, experts said. Plus, those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

An influx of residents and warehouses have made highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume, with Route 33 overtaking Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

Said LANTA planning and scheduling manager A.J. Jordan, “LANTA Planning Department is consistently working to make sure changes impact riders as little as possible."

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie visited Ward Transport & Logistics Corp. in Easton, where he got feedback about federal regulations on truck drivers and concerns about Pennsylvania's emission standards.

A four-hour forum on the prospects of passenger rail service returning to the Lehigh Valley after more than 45 years was held at Lafayette College on Thursday morning.

No seat belts are needed to attend the auto show, the largest display of new SUVs, pickups, and cars from Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, plus Honda, Toyota, Nissan Ford, and Dodge.

Officials from the Transportation Security Administration visited Lehigh Valley International Airport Tuesday with a collection of simulated bombs in tow.