City of Lancaster, PA

28/08/2026

26/08/2026

"For more than four decades, Art and Jean Bernd tended to the space, planting a variety of produce along with ornamentals including rose bushes. When the Bernds moved out of their city home, they hoped the garden would remain...the City took on the project, which included mitigating part of the garden that was contaminated with lead and other toxins from long-ago pesticide use. Eventually, the city asked for groups to submit proposals to manage the space. The garden was awarded to Lancaster Rec Center."

Read more: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/country-life/youth/bay-street-community-garden-brings-lancaster-neighbors-together/article_8c502efd-37ab-5c0d-af77-a81865e725fc.html

26/08/2026

There are nearly 4,000 storm drain inlets throughout Lancaster City. With rain in the forecast over the next several days, take a few minutes to clear drains near your home to help minimize flooding in the future.

This little bit of work can help prevent a flooding headache for you and your neighbors!

21/08/2026

On August 5, 2026, a fire occurred in the city that injured two people and destroyed two homes. Investigators believe a squishy dumpling toy contributed to the fire.

Coincidentally, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to consumers on August 5 about the dangers of these toys. The CPSC is aware of counterfeit products that do not meet federal safety standards and are currently being sold in the marketplace.

Laboratory testing has found these products to contain the chemicals xylene, toluene, cyclohexane, benzene and naphthalene derivatives. These chemicals are flammable and can cause chemical and thermal burns.

There are also social media challenges that involve freezing, heating and eating these products. These are dangerous activities that should never be attempted.

To help safeguard your family, please take the following precautions:

- Buy products only from reputable retailers. However, even reputable retailers may receive counterfeit products.
- Be cautious of unusually low prices. Products that are substantially lower in price may be counterfeit.
- Check the package for misspellings, poor-quality printing, missing safety information or missing manufacturer information.
- Do not use the product if it is torn, leaking, sticky or has a strong chemical-like odor.
- Do not use the product if you develop a rash, hives or burns, or experience difficulty breathing.
- Keep the toy away from concentrated heat sources, microwaves, direct flames and hot vehicles. Heated toys can burst and release materials, causing burn injuries and potentially spreading fire.
- To dispose of these products, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority recommends double-bagging them and placing them with your regular trash.

If you have one of these products in your home, please use caution and follow these safety precautions.

20/08/2026

There is still time to register to Meet the Mayor at this Age-Friendly Lancaster event. We hope to see you there.

18/08/2026

Join us for an open house as we kick off the Lancaster by Design project!

📅 August 19 | 6:30 p.m.

📍 Forum Room at St. James Episcopal Church
119 North Duke Street

Lancaster by Design is a three-part project to update the City of Lancaster’s land use regulations over the next two years through a comprehensive rewrite of the zoning ordinance and subdivision and land development ordinance, and development and adoption of the City's official map. These three tools are being updated together to stay consistent with each other and the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Our Future Lancaster.

15/08/2026

UPDATE
Repair work has concluded and the intersection of Mulberry Street and James Street has reopened.

ORIGINAL POST
The intersection of Mulberry Street and James Street is currently closed due to a water main break. The public should avoid the area until further notice.

12/08/2026

Bike It Lancaster is a great way to explore Lancaster City from the seat of a bike!

Based on user feedback, we've recently relocated some docking stations and increased the number of pedal-assisted ebikes in the system.

If you haven't used our bike share before, now is a great time to try it! Visit https://bikeitlancaster.com/ to get started.

06/08/2026

The City of Lancaster has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund program to provide micro-grants to young people aged 15–24 who have project ideas that can help make their neighborhoods more sustainable.

The first part of the program is now open: we're asking young people aged 15–24 about the environment, their neighborhoods, and changes they would like to see in the community. Responses can be submitted through Engage Lancaster at https://engage.cityoflancasterpa.gov/en/projects/youth-climate-survey/.

Grant applications will open in September. Look for more information about that coming soon!

04/08/2026

Yard waste collection could not be completed today due to a mechanical failure. Crews will collect both Tuesday and Wednesday's yard waste on Wednesday, August 5. We apologize for any inconvenience.