Jan. 24, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
State Rep. Steve Samuelson (D-Bethlehem) has secured a $312,712 grant for sidewalk and road improvements along Guetter Street, site of the Bethlehem Transportation Center.
The center, known as the BTCC, is home to a LANTA office, and 17 bus routes lines pass through the Guetter Street location. It’s just north of Broad Street.
The BTCC also has a waiting area for passengers.
“This project will complete long-needed upgrades to sidewalks and curbs, improve ADA accessibility, add transit amenities such as shelters and bike racks, and resurface portions of the street worn by heavy bus traffic,” Samuelson said in a statement.
As a member of what some call “the gerontocracy” — old people who get things free — I sometimes ride LANTA, with a convenient route a block from my house. Once at the BTCC, I can go pretty much anywhere the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority goes.
The State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development provided the money.
Here’s a link to Samuelson’s statement and below is a cut-and-paste version:
Samuelson secures $312,712 grant for Bethlehem sidewalk, road project
Rep. Steve Samuelson January 20, 2026 | 3:39 PM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 20 – State Rep. Steve Samuelson announced today that the city of Bethlehem has been awarded a $312,712 state grant.
Samuelson said the city will use the Multimodal Transportation Fund grant to make sidewalk and roadway improvements along Guetter Street at the Bethlehem Transportation Center.
“The Bethlehem Transportation Center, located in the heart of downtown, is a vital hub for transit riders across the Lehigh Valley,” Samuelson said. “This project will complete long-needed upgrades to sidewalks and curbs, improve ADA accessibility, add transit amenities such as shelters and bike racks, and resurface portions of the street worn by heavy bus traffic.”
“These improvements will directly benefit thousands of people — including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and residents without access to a car — who rely on safe, accessible public transportation every day,” he said. “By investing in infrastructure that promotes equity, mobility, and walkability, this project supports both transportation access and downtown economic vitality.”
The Multimodal Transportation Fund, administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority through the state Department of Community and Economic Development, provides grants ranging from $100,000 to $3 million to support economic development and ensure a safe, reliable transportation system throughout the commonwealth. Eligible uses include the development, rehabilitation, and enhancement of transportation assets in existing communities, as well as streetscape improvements, lighting, sidewalk enhancements, pedestrian safety, connectivity, and transit-oriented development.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 