In late August, the Bethlehem Police Department shared that they had received a letter from Norfolk Southern asking for the homeless encampment under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge to be cleared. The railroad company operates in 22 states in the Eastern U.S., with a portion of their nearly 19,500 miles of track running along the Lehigh River.
The company reportedly asked Bethlehem Police to install signs on their property by September 15 informing unhoused individuals that they must vacate the area by December 15. Norfolk Southern officials say the encampment is too close to an active track, posing health and safety risks.
Earlier in August, the City of Allentown posted signs along the Jordan Creek to inform an encampment of more than 100 unhoused individuals that they must relocate. City officials said a review of flood plan maps showed the area to be an active flood zone…