Lancaster County Planning

08/31/2026

We have published a new planning guide for municipalities on Food Processing Residual! “A Planning Guide Pertaining to Food Processing Residual in Lancaster County, PA” is available on our web page, or directly in PDF format here: https://lancastercountyplanning.org/DocumentCenter/View/8792/Planning-Guide-Pertaining-to-Food-Processing-8282026?bidId=

Food Processing Residual (FPR) is a byproduct of food and animal feed processing. Depending on the type of byproduct, FPR can be used in animal feed or sprayed on fields. When used on fields, FPR is usually a watery sludge that can come from cleaning food processing areas and is made up of nutrient-rich matter such as vegetable peels, seeds, feathers, hide, and blood. Concerns about spraying FPR on farms include objectionable odors and water runoff that can affect the water quality of nearby streams. FPR is also hard to identify by municipalities, so there are also concerns of unknown substances and contaminants such as PFAS, diseases, and cleaning chemicals leaching into the local ecosystem. Although municipal leaders are not positioned to regulate this land use, they can:
1. Educate FPR generators, haulers, farm operators, concerned residents, and local political representatives
2. Proactively implement water testing procedures and/or truck load bonding to protect community resources
3. Develop FPR complaint coordination strategies between their residents and DEP

08/28/2026

We had a very productive public input meeting yesterday on the safety of Lancaster Ave / Route 462 in Columbia! We heard how residents and community members use the roadway and how safe they feel crossing it. Attendees provided comments and highlighted safety needs on maps of the safety project area.

If you missed this event, you can still leave a comment on our web page by 9/3/26:
https://lancastercountyplanning.org/316/Complete-Streets

08/27/2026

The open house for the Lancaster Ave / Route 462 safety redesign start at 4:00 PM today in Columbia! Stop by any time between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM to give your opinion on how the project road segment could be made safer for people walking, biking, and driving in Columbia. Event Details:

Route 462 Safety Open House
Thursday, August 27
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Columbia Borough Municipal Offices
308 Locust St Columbia, PA 17512

You can also look at the prepared materials online and submit comments on our web page:
https://lancastercountyplanning.org/316/Complete-Streets

¡Columbia! ¡Necesitamos su opinión! La Seguridad Vial para Lancaster Ave/PA 462 en Columbia, PA: https://lancastercountyplanning.org/358/PA-462-Espaol

¡Evento!
27 de agosto
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
308 Locust St Columbia, PA 17512

08/20/2026

Hey Columbia! We are gathering community input on how safe Lancaster Ave / Lincoln Highway feels to use – whether crossing on foot, biking along, or driving through. Your feedback will help shape the safety measures implemented during Route 462’s upcoming resurfacing project. You are invited to a public open house to discuss safety on this road segment!

Route 462 Safety Open House
Thursday, August 27
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Columbia Borough Municipal Offices
308 Locust St Columbia, PA 17512

We will have information, maps, and staff to help the community learn about this project. The open house will begin with a project presentation at 4:00pm, followed by an open comment period until 7pm. Light snacks will be provided. We look forward to hearing from you!

You can also look at the prepared materials online and submit comments on our web page:
https://lancastercountyplanning.org/316/Complete-Streets

¡Columbia! ¡Necesitamos su opinión! La Seguridad Vial para Lancaster Ave/PA 462 en Columbia, PA: https://lancastercountyplanning.org/358/PA-462-Espaol

¡Evento!
27 de agosto
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
308 Locust St Columbia, PA 17512

08/14/2026

Two Road Safety Audit (RSA) candidates will be introduced at the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) meeting this Tuesday. A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is a proactive and formal safety performance examination. It considers all road users, not just motorized traffic, and accounts for their capabilities and limitations.

It is recommended that the MPO identify, prioritize, and maintain a list of potential RSA candidate locations for future consideration by the MPO and PennDOT, as part of the Traffic Safety Action Plan. The two locations being recommended are Millersville Pike (PA 999) from Gable Park Rd to King Street and Market Street (PA 203) from Ridge Road to Sheaffer Road.

Interested in learning more about this topic and others impacting Lancaster County? Attend the meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 1:30 PM in person at:
Lancaster County Government Center
150 North Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Rooms 102/104

or via Zoom:
https://lancastercountypa-gov.zoom.us/j/82793669674?pwd=VfuDKNluKzxAW9Xxbreecr7dWLoy8y.1
Webinar ID 827 9366 9674
Passcode 122361

07/13/2026

Tomorrow, PennDOT will host a hiring event for job seekers to learn about employment opportunities in Lancaster County. The event will be held from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM Tuesday, July 14, at the Lancaster County Maintenance Office, 2105 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602.
The following open positions are being advertised:
• PennDOT Full-time CDL Operators
• Winter Maintenance Program
• Summer Employment Program (Non-Student)
• Diesel and Construction Mechanic
• PennDOT Winter CDL Operators

Learn more about the hiring event here:

Public Invited to PennDOT Hiring Event in Lancaster County

07/08/2026

NOTICE: Event Location Change

Due to a power outage at Country Day from the storms over the weekend, the Thursday, July 9th meeting venue for the Lancaster Heritage Pathway Connector Public Open House has changed to the Maple Grove Community Building at 1420 Columbia Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. The time remains the same, from 4:00PM to 7:00PM.

Join this open house to learn more about the proposed connector trail between the Lancaster Heritage Pathway (Goat Path) and the proposed Blue Green Corridor near the F&M Baker Campus and The Crossings Apartments/Shopping Center (Wegmans).

06/18/2026

This Tuesday, the Lancaster County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will review the 2027-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and supporting documents for approval. The TIP represents the next 4 years of transportation projects such as road resurfacings, bike trails, bridge repairs, and traffic signal improvements. Before approval, comments made during the public review period will be presented.
Interested in learning more about these topics and others impacting Lancaster County? Attend the meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held in Conference Rooms 102 and 104 on the first floor of the Lancaster County Government Center (150 N. Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603). You can also listen only to the meeting via Zoom:
https://lancastercountypa-gov.zoom.us/j/85293683577?pwd=DfHH6ni2WdtAbLGzgr4abRYRoCpnMB.1

Webinar ID 852 9368 3577
Passcode 781779

06/10/2026

A connector trail is being proposed between the Lancaster Heritage Pathway (Goat Path) and the proposed Blue Green Corridor near the F&M Baker Campus and The Crossings Apartments/Shopping Center (Wegmans)! The sum of proposed trails would connect River Drive to Noel Dorwart Park, crossing the Little Conestoga Creek.

Would you like to learn more? A public open house will be held on July 9th, 2026, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Lancaster Country Day School at 725 Hamilton Rd, Lancaster, PA 17603. Drop in anytime to learn and share your thoughts about the proposed connection between the Blue Green Corridor and the Lancaster Heritage Pathway. All are welcome!

06/08/2026

You can now read our responses to your comments on the Draft 2027-2030 TIP on our website! The Transportation Improvement Program is a list of our upcoming roadway, transit, and trail projects. For this comment period, we received the most comments on the Warwick to Ephrata Rail Trail Extension! Read all of the responses here:
https://lancastercountyplanning.org/311/Upcoming-Projects-The-TIP