2nd and Chestnut streets will receive pedestrian-friendly improvements.
Two busy thoroughfares in downtown Harrisburg could soon become more accessible to pedestrians, thanks to grant applications coming out of city hall.
The city has obtained PennDOT grant money to update crosswalk signals at eight intersections on Forster Street and is also seeking funds to implement cosmetic and practical fixes on Chestnut Street.
Both projects are part of an ongoing push from the city to improve traffic flow and pedestrian access in the busiest parts of downtown.
“Our biggest concern is community accommodations,” Wayne Martin, city engineer, said during a City Council meeting on Tuesday.
Council voted that night to accept $357,150 from PennDOT to replace the traffic signal controls and video vehicle detection technology on Forster Street.
The city will contribute $138,005 from its general fund to construction, bringing the total cost of the project to $461,005.
According to Martin, eight intersections on Forster Street have been linked by the same coordination plan since the 1950s. However, industry standards for pedestrian behavior have changed since then. Today’s standards expect pedestrians to walk 3.5 feet per second, compared with 4 feet per second in the 1950s.
“This will probably better the traffic flow because people won’t be racing from signal to signal,” Martin explained.
The money will also pay for 12-inch pedestrian signal screens to replace the current 8-inch screens.
Council on Tuesday also approved an additional grant application to the PA Department of Community & Economic Development. That grant requests funding for the $1.5 million Chestnut Street Revitalization project, which will repair rough roads, add bike lanes and update ramps and sidewalks on that street.
Chestnut Street connects the city to the 20-mile Capital Area Greenbelt trail and is a hub for train and bus patrons at the Harrisburg Transportation Center. It also includes properties for students, low-income residents, senior citizens and professionals. Martin hopes that the project will make the street more beautiful and environmentally friendly, as well as more accessible to the diverse pedestrians who use it.
In addition to repairing streets and roads, the project aims to add street lamps, trees and ADA-complaint wheelchair ramps.
Author: Lizzy Hardison
