We've been talking to the bike/ped-interested public for a couple years now at this point and this is what we are hearing so far in terms of what people's concerns and interests are.  At the same time, we are working on reaching out to various municipalities, community entities and institutions and we will want to review this priority list with them and incorporate their input and perspectives.

We also have some internal to do lists stacking up.  Anyone interested in helping out with any of the below priorities is free to attend Walk It! Bike It! meetings on the first Friday of the month at 8am in the Borough Council chamber at 55 S 5th St.  Or, if you're not able to attend, please reach out to find out about other ways you can participate by helping with behind the scenes work like mapping and data collection or staffing at events.

This list is an ongoing work in progress.  We first posted a draft in February of 2016.  As we go along, additional topics not on the list are brought to our attention:  a map, bike racks, surveying (and reaching out) to businesses and other members of the public...

Here's the most recent version of the Draft Priority List.  It is for now still following the same format with the broad headings of Awareness, Advocacy and Improvements.  As we move forward, we are recognizing that while this may be the order of priority (crowd-sourced), there will be some areas where we may find lower hanging fruit than others.  In fact, from the perspective of a volunteer-based community organization, none of the Improvements listed sound like low hanging fruit.  And there may be more specific interest in engaging in some activities than others by participants.  So, it's good to know the priorities, but we also continue to move ahead with work plans for the do-able.

 

 

BIKE/PED DRAFT PRIORITY LIST -- Version 2.1

AWARENESS

Goals

1. Improve compliance with yield to peds at non-signalized intersections
2. Provide pedestrian and bike education and safety programs in the schools
3. Increase local awareness of ped/bike importance, value, range of issues
4. Provide online maps/tours (images and GIS/apps) and physical signage to connect trail to campus or trail to river
5. Promote Walk/Bike to School days
6. Stage additional Road Holidays
7. Organize Bike to Work Day

Strategies

1. Reach out to Police, create alliance/shared vision
2. Work together with School District
3. Submit articles to paper and online about general topic and relevance
4. Keep interested people informed about local events/issues as well as national information
5. Educate about what the law is and what that translates to in terms of action
6. Educate people about options – where, when, why and how to walk or bike in the area
7. Maintain presence at events
8. Organize walking (or biking) groups
9. Offer tours, show people how to use trails, how to get to them

 

ADVOCACY

Goals

1. Form alliance with health care community (Geisinger, Evan, etc)
2. Establish a Safe Routes to School Program
3. Monitor ped-signal function and report issues
4. Reduce speed limit on Market west of 15

Strategies

1. Attend relevant public meetings: Borough Public Works, MPO, SGP/JGTA? County and Regional?
2. Nominate person to serve on MPO board
3. Reach out to School Board(s)
4. Continue networking efforts
5. Advocate with legislators

 

IMPROVEMENTS (this portion is now up to version 4.3)

KEY:  Bold and underlined -- top priority; bold -- high priority; plain text -- priority; italics -- listed but low priority

Priority ranking of intersections involving PennDOT

1. Rail trail crossing of Rt 15
2. 15/45
3. Rail Trail/Fairground Rd
4. 15/St Mary St
5. Market St/Water St.
6. Beagle club/15
7. 45/Fairground Rd.
8. St Mary St/Fairground Rd.
9. Rt 45 crosswalk by Linntown/Eichhorn
10. 45 and Fairfield Rd.

Listed but lower priority: Newman Rd/William Penn Dr; 15/192; River Rd/15; Newman Rd/Hospital Dr;Rt 45/Rt 405; 45/15th St

 

 

Priority ranking of intersections that do not involve PennDOT

1. Stein Lane/Jefferson
2. Stein/Monroe
3. To and From 15/45 on EBT side
4. Mary crosswalks from Penn House Commons
5. Anthony/Water

Listed but lower priority: St. Mary/Reitz; Rail Trail/ St John/5^th; Pheasant Ridge/Salem Church Rd

 

 

Non-intersection issues

1.     Stein Lane Corridor
2.     RR bridge over river
3.     Traffic calming at the bridge
4.     Connections beyond the Borough north on Union County side of river
5.     Bridge at St Anthony/River Rd
6.     Airport Rd Bridge
7.     Paths across the Bucknell fields from Linntown (and along Golf Course)
8.     Former south end of Water St
9.     Connection to Northumberland County

Listed but lower priority: Ped signal problems, design, function, etc.; Better signage options for pedestrian zone; RiverWoods/River Rd Crossing; Connect from Market St to Bucknell Campus to replace the RR bridge trespassing; Creating a marked route along the river within and just beyond the Borough; Loan Rd crossing; Connections beyond the Borough south on Union County side of river; Bike Sensors at signals; Schoolhouse Rd (speed and trucks); Salem Church Rd; Hafer Rd RR ROW connector