(Editor’s note: The following email came from Attorney Bill Cluck who represents TRRAAC)
In today’s paper, it was reported that the project “was approved to receive $4 million by the Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee.” I just spoke with the reporter, Bernard Harris, and he is going to write a clarification that the committee meeting yesterday was merely an advisory recommendation and the actual approval of funding will not occur until the Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee meets on April 27 at 12:30.
No one bothered to question the basis for the assertions that Norfolk Southern has an increase in business (maybe they did in 2005 when they signed the agreement with F&M, but not today they don’t), that the rail yard needs additional capacity or that 55,000 tractor trailers per year will be removed from local highways and that would actually improve traffic congestion and reduce air pollution. Similarly, DEP, PennDOT and the Governor have not looked beyond the rhetoric of the project partners who are seeking “other people’s money” to pay for their own expansion plans at the expense of the taxpayers and the quality of lives of nearby residential neighborhoods…. without public participation.
Nice try, Lancaster Newspapers, but the facts will eventually be reported.
Yawn. The funding will be approved April 27.