Transportation in the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is served by air, car, bus, and taxi, with rail service being investigated. A growing population has called for the many types of transportation.
Transportation to the Lehigh Valley
Airports
Lehigh Valley International Airport (IATA: ABE, ICAO: KABE) serves the Lehigh Valley for major flights. It is located just north of the Allentown city line. The airlines serving Lehigh Valley International Airport are Air Canada, AirTran Airways, Allegiant Air, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Direct Air, United Airlines, and US Airways.
One of the Lehigh Valley's other airports, Allentown Queen City Municipal Airport (IATA: XLL, ICAO: KXLL), is used mostly for private aviation. It is located near Interstate 78 in Southwest Allentown.
Braden Airpark is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and is used for private aviation and flight lessons.
Buses
Trans-Bridge Lines runs daily buses to and from New York City and Philadelphia. Other motorcoaches run from New York and Philadelphia to the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Bieber Tourways also offers service from Philadelphia and Reading.
Roads
The easiest and most widely used way to get into the Lehigh Valley is to drive. Interstate 78 connects the Lehigh Valley with Harrisburg and New York City. Interstate 476 is a toll road that connects the Lehigh Valley with Scranton and Philadelphia. US Route 22 is an expressway that runs through the Lehigh Valley, but it is often congested on weekdays and at rush hour. PA Route 309 connects the Lehigh Valley with Quakertown and the Coal Region. PA Route 33 is an expressway that connects the Valley with the Poconos. PA Route 378 is an expressway that runs through Bethlehem. US Route 222 is a bypass highway around Hamilton Boulevard and later connects with Reading and Lancaster.
Transportation around the Lehigh Valley
Buses
LANTA provides extensive bus service across the Lehigh Valley area. The Bethlehem Loop is a bus service running around Bethlehem to the Sands Casino. New Jersey Transit also provides service between Easton and Phillipsburg via its weekday only 890 and 891routes.
Easton Coach provides motorcoach and local transit services including buses and trolleys.
Car
Driving the Lehigh Valley is the easiest way to get around. Interstate 78 runs to the south of the Lehigh Valley, while US Route 22 connects the northern areas. City streets can be busy at times and are not always comfortable for an unexperienced driver.
Highways
Several highways/expressways serve the Lehigh Valley.
I-78 serves as a bypass just to the south of Allentown.
US 22 (Lehigh Valley Thruway) is an east-west highway just north of the three cities. It turns to an at-grade roadway through Phillipsburg.
I-476/Pennsylvania Turnpike runs from Philadelphia to Scranton and is part of the PA Turnpike's Northeast Extension.
PA 309 is a highway beginning at US 22, meeting and staying concurrent with I-78, and then turning off to Quakertown.
PA 33 begins at I-78 near Easton and continues as a highway north into The Poconos.
PA 378 is a spur route connecting US 22 with Center City and South Side Bethlehem.
US 222/PA 100 (Jaindl Highway) is an expressway bypassing Trexlertown and the surrounding area.
Rental cars
A number of rental car companies can be found at Lehigh Valley International Airport, such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National.
Parking
Allentown and Bethlehem both have many parking lots, garages, and meters. There are five public parking decks in Allentown and three public parking decks in Bethlehem.
Cabs, limousines, historic tours
Several cab companies offer taxi, limousine, and horse & carriage service around the Lehigh Valley.
Bridges
The Albertus L. Meyers Bridge crosses Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown. The Hill to Hill Bridge, the Philip J. Fahy Memorial Bridge, and the Minsi Trail Bridge all cross the Lehigh River in Bethlehem. The Interstate 78 Toll Bridge, the Northampton Street Bridge, and the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge all cross the Delaware River.
Future
There is a possibility for passenger rail service to connect the Lehigh Valley area with New York City to eliminate some of the bus traffic. This is being investigated because rail lines already are in place in Phillipsburg, when the town once had rail service. The cost to run new tracks to Allentown is being evaluated to find if train service is worth the money.