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A five-part series this week will explore traffic and transportation issues in the Lehigh Valley. Increasing traffic volume, dangerous driving and insufficient infrastructure are among the topics examined.

An influx of residents and warehouses have seen highways in Lehigh and Northampton counties grow more crowded. An analysis by LehighValleyNews.com finds some stretches of road have experienced increases of 40% to 50% in traffic volume. Route 33 has overtaken Interstate 78 as the region's second-busiest highway.

While state data doesn't show significant increases in distracted or aggressive driving, or that the Lehigh Valley is a hotspot for these incidents, it might still feel that way to everyday commuters. Those risky behaviors are far more common than the average driver would think.

Impaired driving is among the most persistent threats to road safety in the Lehigh Valley, according to two of the region's chief prosecutors.

Courts are trying to “strike a balance” between punishing drivers for their actions and helping them recover from underlying issues that may have led them to drive impaired, according to the region's chief prosecutors.

Only five Lehigh Valley school districts offer driver education of some kind. The local intermediate units and private driving schools fill in the gaps.

In Philadelphia, automated speed enforcement has been in use in targeted areas for more than a year. Now with months of data, will lawmakers approve expanding the program to municipalities across the commonwealth?


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