LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Plans are in the works to update the Lancaster Amtrak station, and officials want to hear residents' thoughts.
Lancaster County officials say the city's current layout surrounding the Amtrak station is outdated and doesn't meet residential needs. They want to change that and they're looking for input from locals on the tentative plan.
At an open house on Tuesday evening, people were able to see the proposed plan to completely revamp the area within the next few years, adding housing and retail properties.
For a look at the planned diagrams, click here.
County officials say not only is the train station surrounded by large vacant lots and car dealerships, it's also unfriendly to pedestrians. They add the Lancaster Amtrak station is the second busiest station in the state and needs more room to accommodate the growing traffic.
"We're so fortunate to have the Lancaster train station because there are twenty metro areas in the U.S. that are larger than Lancaster that don't have passenger rail service," said Michael Domin, the principal planner with the Lancaster County Planning Department.
"The parking needs of the train station are great and right now we don't have enough parking here," he continued.
Lancaster County officials are accepting public comments on the proposed plan until Sunday, April 9.
For more information on the planned changes and how to make your voice heard, click here.