Route 30 Master Plan

Download Key Project Documents

The documents below are this project’s most frequently requested and accessed documents. All files are in PDF format.

Additional project documents may be found on the Documents, Phase 1 Report, Design Charrette, Vision Plan, and Tool Kit pages.

• US Route 30 Demonstration Plan — the culmination of the project and a model for replication throughout the corridor
• US Route 30 Master Plan and Implementation Toolkit
• US Route 30 Corridor Proposed Vision Plan for the year 2030
• Route 30 Master Plan: Phase 1 Summary Report
• Transportation Improvement Maps
• US Route 30 Master Plan Optimal Corridor Conceptual Plan
• Classic view of the original Route 30 Master Plan website — Internet Archive WayBackMachine

About the Route 30 Master Plan

Starting in the early 2000’s Westmoreland County leaders began envisioning the future of land development and how that development relates to transportation systems and community economies and quality of life, asking —

How can we…

• Preserve our rural landscape?
• Revitalize our towns and cities?
• Reclaim our suburbs?

To answer these questions, in 2005, the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County (SGPWC) initiated a process with local planners and community stakeholders to flesh out a vision and plan for a 40-mile stretch of the historic “Lincoln Highway” that connects the historic small cities and growing suburbs east of Pittsburgh to the scenic Laurel Highlands. The study built upon numerous transportation and land use planning efforts conducted over the past several years and pinpointed strategies to implement the Route 30 Vision Statement (see section below) previously developed.

The project was unique in that a non-profit entity took a proactive, collaborative approach to help shape communities along the corridor to optimize their ability to reap the benefits of growth, while avoiding negative consequences, such as soaring housing prices, clogged roadways and vanishing open space.

Conceived as a model for better development everywhere, the Route 30 Master Plan is a strategic blueprint for Westmoreland County’s economic growth corridor. It utilizes sound transportation and land use planning approaches to develop cost-conscious investment priorities, intelligent strategies for congestion management and multi-municipal development regulations and design guidelines.

Route 30 Vision Statement

Known to many as the Lincoln Highway, the U.S. Route 30 corridor is central Westmoreland County’s primary east-west highway. Its position as a transportation facility dates back to the French and Indian War and has played a nationally and regionally significant role in economic growth and westward expansion.

By leveraging key capital investments with intelligent transportation systems and sound land use practices, the U.S. Route 30 corridor in Westmoreland County will be a national example of a safe and efficient transportation corridor of economic opportunity.

Spearheading these actions is a coalition of business and municipal officials who work collaboratively with each other and with PennDOT to ensure that, the U.S. Route 30 of the future is characterized by:

• A consistent approach to land use regulation that enhances economic activities, balancing the historic character and rural beauty of the highway while respecting individual property rights;
• The use of the latest technology to intelligently move people and goods safely;
• An appropriate mix of commercial, industrial, residential, agriculture, open space and other vital land uses that underlie a great quality of life;
• A multi-modal approach, including transit, air, and rail freight to accommodate the movement of people and goods efficiently;
• A network of parallel road systems that provides choices for local residents and for the convenient flow of through traffic, including the tourist traveler; and
• Well-maintained surface, landscaping and traffic control systems that work together to enhance the motoring experience.