Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, gave a presentation regarding transportation, population and land use trends in the Lehigh Valley at the Aug. 19 South Whitehall commissioners’ meeting.

“We want to ask what’s going on in the Lehigh Valley and how does South Whitehall fit into it,” Bradley said. “With steady population growth since the 1960s, the area will need more places for people to live and work.”

South Whitehall had 10,932 residents in 1960 and 19,500 in 2013.

Bradley forecast 26,621 inhabitants for the township by 2040.

“There are more people and more employment,” she said. “You need to change how you manage the land.

“South Whitehall has done a good job of this.”

Director of Community Development Gerald Harbison explained a way the township is preparing for the future.

“We used the economy downturn to get ordinances in place for the next wave of development,” Harbison said.

Bradley pointed out the change in land use since 1964 when 74 percent of the Lehigh Valley was undeveloped or in agriculture, down to 48 percent in 2010.

Last year, South Whitehall had the greatest number of total lots proposed, 456, in Lehigh County.

Bradley turned attention to the increased traffic coming from not only the higher number of people living in South Whitehall but also from drivers passing through on township roadways.

Although 4 percent of employed people now work at home, most have jobs elsewhere and drive there by themselves, Bradley said.

She referred to Route 22 as “our Main Street” and said eight bridges along the highway in South Whitehall will need to be replaced in any widening project.

Another issue is the growth in freight resulting in part from the many warehouses in the area.

Bradley said about 50 million tons of freight are going through South Whitehall on Route 22 annually at this time.

By 2040, up to 175 million tons of freight are projected to traverse Route 22.

Commissioner David Bond said most of the attention is focused on Route 22.

“What about our north-south corridor?” Bond asked. “I think we’re missing the boat on north-south. What about Cedar Crest Boulevard?”

Bradley said widening of Cedar Crest Boulevard would be very costly as houses would need to be acquired and demolished.

Township Manager Howard Kutzler said prioritization is on the east-west routes because there is not enough money to do everything.