Thus far, discussion of the proposed downtown streetcar loop has remained largely within the local establishment—the Streetcar Company, the City, the County, the Red Rose Transit Authority, Franklin & Marshall, etc. However, if and when formal construction plans are developed for a streetcar system in Lancaster City, the project would have to pass a thorough review from PennDOT’s headquarters in Harrisburg. This is because both North Queen and North Prince Streets are classified as State roads.
According to Mike Keiser, Acting Assistant District Engineer for Design, plans for any third party to alter the function of a State-owned road would require a Highway Occupancy Permit from PennDOT. The permit review process, Keiser said, would be “pretty significant,” including an in-depth Traffic Impact Study—“If you displace half of your capacity because of a trolley, what does that do?,” Keiser said, explaining the scope of such a study.
PennDOT would also be seeking to understand how a system so peculiar to Pennsylvania’s recent experience would be managed. Keiser referenced the topic of potholes for an example: “Who’s responsible for the maintenance of this area where the track is? It’s not going to be PennDot.”
Keiser noted that, if PennDOT rejected plans for a streetcar system, there would remain one alternative course for the City to move ahead on the project: Occasionally, a State route can be turned back to the local municipality. Some roads in Lebanon City, for example, are marked as State traffic, but are locally owned. The City of Lancaster could potentially request that North Prince and North Queen be transferred to City ownership—“Not likely,” Keiser said, “But anything’s possible.”
While discussing the proposed loop, Keiser also mentioned that PennDOT has already spoken with the City about plans to resurface both North Prince and North Queen next year for an estimated bill of $2.5 million. Regarding streetcars, however, PennDOT has not been formally brought to the table. According to Mike Crochunis, a PennDOT spokesman, “our team knows little about the specifics” and has not yet been approached by the City regarding this particular project. Most of what they know, Crochunis said, has come from the newspapers.
So would a traffic plan for the access to the hotel/CC and the alterations to Harrisburg Pike. Those regulatory hurdles didn’t stop those projects and I highly doubt they would stop this one. Opponents better have more up their sleeve than a bailout from PennDOT because I can guarantee that the FIX is in for this hurdle and any other regulatory issues that might arise.
I understand that PennDOT waived the need for a traffic plan for the hotel and convention center project. Time and time again, Pennsylvania laws have been circumvented when people in politically powerful positions intervened.