Press Release

PENNDOT TO HOLD TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR ROUTE 23 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY AND EASTERN LANCASTER COUNTY LAND USE STUDY

-- Both open house meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. August 18 meeting is at the Worship Center. August 19 meeting is at Garden Spot High School. --

HARRISBURG, PA (August 8) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, (PENNDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in partnership with the County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will hold two open house public meetings for the PA Route 23 Environmental Impact Study and the Eastern Lancaster County Land Use Study (ELCLUS) on Monday, August 18, and Tuesday, August 19. “We want to reach as many people as we can,” said Barry Hoffman, PENNDOT District Executive for south central Pennsylvania. “We’re going to hold the same public meeting on two separate days at two different locations along the Route 23 corridor so that we can make it more convenient for people to attend.”

The public meeting set for Monday, August 18, will be held from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Worship Center at 2384 New Holland Pike in Upper Leacock Township. The public meeting on Tuesday, August 19, will be held at the Garden Spot High School at 669 East Main Street in New Holland Borough and will also run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Since each meeting will follow an open house format, people can attend at their convenience during the meeting times. A video presentation will run repeatedly throughout the evening and provide an overview of the Route 23 Environmental Impact Study. Representatives of PENNDOT and the study team will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the different displays that illustrate the current status of the study and refinements to the alternatives under consideration to improve the Route 23 corridor in northeastern Lancaster County. The information, materials, mapping and handouts presented at each meeting will be the same. Those attending the meeting will also receive a booklet with map illustrations and key information on each of the alternatives developed in this study.

In August a year ago, PENNDOT conducted a pair of well-attended public meetings in which the study team introduced nine alternatives – eight that could be built to help address traffic problems and improve safety on Route 23, and a no-build alternative used for comparison purposes. Since then, five alternatives have been dismissed and three of them carried forward and developed in more detail. The no-build alternative – which maintains the existing transportation system and includes highway and transit projects currently scheduled for Route 23 -- is also carried forward in the study. This second pair of public meetings scheduled for this month is intended to share information on the progress made thus far with these detailed studies and solicit public feedback. These public meetings will also include the land use plans associated with these alternatives as well as transportation and land use data and detailed historic, farmland and environmental mapping. In addition, information on the draft report of the Eastern Lancaster County Land Use Study will be available for public review and comment.

The three alternatives that have been developed in greater detail include the following:

• Widening Alternative – Option 1 – This alternative includes adding a center turn lane on Route 23 throughout the study area, and shoulders along most of the Route 23 corridor, except in Leola, New Holland, and Blue Ball. The Transportation System Management (TSM) strategy -- such as adding traffic signals, turning lanes, etc. -- and Transit improvements are also included.
• Bareville Connector Alternative – This alternative follows the Goat Path in the western section of the study area, connects to Route 23 near Bareville, and follows the Widening Alternative, Option 1 along Route 23 through New Holland. The TSM/Transit improvements are also included.
• Southern Alternative – This alternative is located south of Route 23 and follows the Goat Path in the western section of the study area and a new alignment south of Bareville and New Holland. Two versions of this limited-access alternative will be presented – one as a freeway, the other as an arterial highway potentially with signalized intersections. The TSM/Transit improvements are also included.

“The overall success of these meetings will be directly affected by the level of public participation we receive,” said Mark Malhenzie, PENNDOT Senior Project Manager. “It is essential that our study team takes this time to inform, educate, and engage the community as a whole. Public input is key to our efforts to develop the best possible and balanced transportation and land use solutions for the PA Route 23 Corridor.”

The meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. Inquiries regarding special needs or accommodations should be directed to Lugene Keys at (717) 691-1340 no later than two weeks prior to the public meetings.

For more information on the Route 23 study, please visit the study’s website at www.paroute23.com

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