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What is the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission?
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) is the regional planning body for the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, based at Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. It works on planning and development issues across the region, with a stated focus on sustainable growth and community engagement. Its work spans several areas:
- Transportation planning, including programs, committee meetings, passenger rail, freight and active transportation.
- Community planning, covering subdivision and land development, comprehensive plans, housing and community plans and guides.
- Environmental planning, including climate resiliency, natural and water resources and green transportation.
- Regional coordination, through the Lehigh Valley General Assembly, NewsLV and events such as the annual awards gala.
The site also hosts meeting materials and agendas for the LVPC and the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (LVTS) committees, plus an open call for projects with instructions and a project form.
If you are a resident, municipal official, developer or planner, the practical next step is to open the meetings and events section to see current agendas and materials, or check the transportation and community plan pages for the topic closest to your concern.
How can I attend an LVPC or LVTS meeting?
Attend by checking the meeting pages first, then showing up at the published time and location—or using whatever remote option the agenda lists. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's site separates the two bodies: one page for LVPC meetings and another for the LVTS Joint Technical + Coordinating Committee.
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
Practical steps
- Open the LVPC or LVTS meeting page and look for the agenda and materials. Agendas are the reliable source for date, time, place and any virtual link.
- Decide which body you need. LVPC is the planning commission; LVTS is the transportation committee structure. They meet separately, so the agenda you read should match the meeting you plan to attend.
- Check whether public comment is on the agenda. If it is, note the sign-up rule and any time limit.
- Bring the agenda. It makes the discussion far easier to follow and shows you which item your comment belongs to.
Which meeting to choose
| If your interest is… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| Land development, comprehensive plans, housing, environment | LVPC meeting |
| Transportation programs, passenger rail, freight, active transportation | LVTS committee meeting |
| A specific project or funding item | The agenda that lists that item |
For a concrete example: a resident concerned about a subdivision or a municipal plan should read the LVPC agenda; someone tracking a road, rail or trail project should read the LVTS agenda. If the item crosses both, attend the meeting where it is scheduled and ask staff which body will act next.
Next step: open the meeting page, download the current agenda, and confirm the date, time and public-comment instructions before you go.
What funding opportunities are available through the LVPC's open call for projects?
The LVPC's open call for projects is a submission window for proposing projects, not a published list of grants with fixed dollar amounts. From the page evidence, the current opportunity is framed as an "Open Call for Projects" with instructions and a project form, extended to September 30th. That tells you the practical answer: funding is pursued by submitting a project through the form during the open period, and the LVPC's role is to collect, review and advance projects rather than advertise a menu of named funding programs. Specific eligibility, matching requirements and award levels are not stated in the supplied material, so treat those as details to confirm directly.
Who this is for
- Municipalities and multi-municipal groups in the Lehigh Valley seeking to move a transportation, land development, housing or environmental project forward.
- Planning commissions, authorities and community organizations that need a regional sponsor or technical review.
- Consultants and engineers preparing submissions on behalf of a public client.
How to approach it
- Read the posted instructions before drafting, since the form structure usually mirrors the evaluation criteria.
- Match your project to a program area listed on the site — transportation programs, community subdivision and land development, comprehensive plan, housing, or environment and climate resiliency.
- Confirm whether your project needs to appear in an adopted plan, since comprehensive and multi-municipal plans often set the pipeline.
- Submit before the extended September 30 deadline and keep a copy of the form.
Decision criterion
If your project is early-stage with no defined scope, cost estimate or public sponsor, the open call is probably premature. If you have a scoped project tied to a regional plan and a willing municipal partner, the call is the right entry point.
Start at Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and open the Open Call for Projects instructions and form. For context on how projects fit the region's plans, the same site's Community Plans + Guides and Transportation sections are the natural next read.
How does the LVPC support municipal planning and land development?
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission supports municipal planning chiefly by acting as a regional coordinator and technical resource that local governments can draw on rather than as a body that dictates local decisions. Its site organizes this support into a few practical areas.
Direct help to municipalities
- A Municipal Guide and Staff directory, so borough and township officials can find the right contact and understand the review process.
- Subdivision and land development materials, aimed at the routine development applications municipalities handle.
- Comprehensive plan and multi-municipal plan resources, useful when a community is updating its own plan or coordinating with a neighbor.
- Housing and community plans and guides, which give a starting point for policy work on housing supply and neighborhood planning.
Transportation and environment The transportation side is handled through the LVTS committee structure, with programs covering passenger rail, freight and active transportation, plus lists of obligated projects by year and transportation training. Environmental support includes climate resiliency, natural and water resources, and green transportation. A PlanLV Portal and an accessibility tip packet round out the toolkit for staff who need data and practical guidance.
How to use it If you are a municipal planner or an applicant, start with the Municipal Guide and the subdivision and land development section, then check whether your project touches transportation or environmental review. Agendas and meeting materials for both LVPC and LVTS meetings are posted, so you can see when a topic will be discussed before it reaches a vote.
For broader context, compare with Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and, if your work crosses state lines or you want a different regional model, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
What transportation programs and initiatives does the LVPC oversee?
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission oversees regional transportation planning through its LVTS (Lehigh Valley Transportation Study) arm, covering both long-range planning and specific project categories.
Core transportation programs
- Transportation Programs – the umbrella for the commission's transportation planning work
- LVTS Committee Meetings – the joint technical and coordinating committee structure where transportation decisions are reviewed
- Passenger Rail – planning and advocacy for rail service in the region
- Freight – freight movement planning, relevant to the Valley's logistics and distribution economy
- Active Transportation – walking, biking and trail connections
- Transportation Training – capacity-building for municipal staff and partners
Funding and project tracking The site publishes Obligated Projects lists by year (2023, 2024 and 2025), which show how federal and state transportation dollars were actually committed. It also runs an Open Call for Projects with instructions and a project form, extended to September 30th — this is the entry point for municipalities and agencies seeking funding.
Who this is for Municipal engineers and planners, transit and rail advocates, freight and logistics interests, and residents who want to see which road, bridge, trail or rail projects are moving. The agendas and meeting materials are the practical way to follow decisions before they are final.
Next step: if you represent a municipality or organization with a candidate project, start with the Open Call for Projects instructions and form; if you just want to track what is funded, the yearly Obligated Projects pages are the fastest read. Meeting agendas and materials are posted under the LVPC and LVTS meeting pages at Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
How can I get involved in climate resiliency and environmental planning in the Lehigh Valley?
Start with the official regional planning body: the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) runs the region's environmental and climate planning work and publishes the documents, meetings and contacts you need to plug into. Its site is Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
Ways to participate
- Attend a public meeting. LVPC and LVTS (Lehigh Valley Transportation Study) meetings are where plans, project lists and transportation programs are presented and discussed. Agendas and materials are posted so you can read before you speak.
- Comment on plans and programs. Environmental and transportation plans go through public review; written comments and testimony at meetings are the most direct way for a resident to influence them.
- Use the PlanLV Portal. This is the commission's online hub for plans and data — a good starting point to see what's already adopted before you propose something new.
- Join or follow a committee. Transportation committee meetings (including freight, passenger rail and active transportation topics) connect land use, air quality and climate concerns.
- Work through your municipality. Comprehensive plans, subdivision and land development reviews, and multi-municipal plans are where climate resiliency goals get implemented locally. Your borough or township planning commission is often the fastest route.
- Bring a project. The site lists an open call for projects with instructions and a project form — relevant if you represent a municipality or organization with a fundable proposal.
Match your role to the right door
| If you are… | Best first step |
|---|---|
| An individual resident | Read the current environment/climate plan, then comment at an LVPC or LVTS meeting |
| A municipal official or planner | Municipal guide, multi-municipal plans, and the project call |
| A nonprofit or community group | Contact staff, then align your proposal with an adopted plan |
| A student or researcher | PlanLV Portal data plus meeting materials |
Practical next step: skim the Environment section (Climate Resiliency, Natural + Water Resources, LV Green Transportation) and the PlanLV Portal, note one plan relevant to your neighborhood, and check the meeting page for the next LVPC or LVTS agenda. Then decide whether to submit a written comment or speak in person — written comments are easier to make precise, while speaking puts your concern on the record in the room.
One caution: regional plans set direction, but zoning and land development decisions sit with local governments, so pair any county-level involvement with a message to your own municipality.
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