Planning commission approves preliminary-final plan for Riverside Drive extension, advancing D&L Trail gap closure

The Allentown City Planning Commission on an unspecified August meeting granted preliminary-final approval to the Riverside Drive extension project, which will extend Riverside Drive north from Furnace Street toward Wood Street and include a major segment of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor trail.

The project matters because it closes a longstanding roughly four‑mile gap in the D&L Trail and is tied to a $21,120,000 federal RAISE grant and other public and private contributions that together fund construction of both roadway and a multiuse trail through Allentown and into Whitehall Township.

Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, told the commission the D&L Trail gap between Allentown and Whitehall was identified in regional trail gap analyses and that a federal RAISE grant awarded in 2021 forms the backbone of the funding. “He’s agreed to donate the right of way for the Allentown section to the city of Allentown,” Bradley said, referring to a private landowner’s contribution that helped satisfy the local match requirement for the federal grant. Bradley also summarized local outreach and past public comments asking for traffic calming, lighting, trail markers and LANTA transit service.

City planning staff recommended approval. “Staff remains supportive of this project. It's a very exciting project, and we recommend approval subject to the conditions listed within the city comment letter,” Jennifer (city planning staff) told the commission.

Project scope and design: The Allentown portion of the extension is roughly 0.4 miles; the Whitehall portion is about 2 miles, and plans call for the new roadway in Allentown to match existing roadway configurations where it ties in. The design includes a major shared‑use trail component that engineers and planners say must maintain maximum feasible width where topography allows. Public comments and the city review called for traffic calming and truck restrictions; Bradley said the road will be posted to prohibit tractor‑trailers and that the design aims to discourage high speeds. Project engineers and PennDOT staff said specific calming elements will be coordinated during final design: PennDOT project staff noted an all‑way stop is proposed at the Riverside/Jordan intersection and the three‑lane segment in front of the waterfront development will be reduced to two lanes at Furnace Street.

Funding, roles and schedule: The U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant of $21,120,000 was cited as primary federal funding. Lehigh County has accepted the role of project sponsor for coordination with PennDOT and for administering the federal funds. Christine Frey, listed as the PennDOT project manager on the team, emphasized PennDOT’s role in administering federal funds and compliance: “PennDOT really is only the administer here for the purposes of the federal funds and making sure that everything all the regulations are adhered to and and from that front,” she said. The team said the delivery method changed from design‑build to design‑bid‑build under PennDOT procedures. The current schedule presented to the commission anticipates final design and permitting over roughly two years, advertisement in 2027, construction starting in spring 2028 and completion in 2029.

Transit, lighting and trail elements: LANTA (Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority) has identified future bus stop locations and indicated intent to serve the corridor after construction; the plan now shows bus pads at several intersections. The design includes combined roadway and trail lighting and pedestrian lighting at locations where utilities permit. Project leaders said a package of interpretive signage, mile markers and emergency reference markers will be developed with the D&L Corridor, Allentown and Whitehall.

Public comment: Mary Lou Harris, a resident, asked about parking for nearby houses and reported speeding in the area. City staff responded the extension corridor is not planned to include on‑street parking within the project limits and that Harris’s area of concern lies south of the project’s mapped limits.

Commission action and conditions: A commissioner moved to grant preliminary‑final approval conditioned on the items and report in the city comment letter; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor. The approval is subject to the outstanding technical and permitting items listed in the city’s review letter and to continued coordination with PennDOT, LVPC and Whitehall Township.

What comes next: Staff indicated remaining technical revisions will be submitted through the normal review process and LVPC staff will issue a revised review letter in the coming weeks. Final design and the remaining permit reviews — including any federal grant compliance tasks — are expected before advertising for construction.