Hearing on pedestrian plan set for Tuesday
PHOENIXVILLE >> A public hearing on an assessment of the borough’s walkability, and a set of recommendations for improvements that could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Called “Walk Phoenixville,” the 34-page report outlines, unsafe intersections and those not handicapped accessible, as well as suggested improvements.
Borough council is expected to vote on whether to adopt the report at the Dec. 10 meeting following the public hearing, according to a legal notice published in The Mercury.
“Phoenixville Borough has almost 80 miles of sidewalk and 477 intersections with crosswalks. However approximately 80 percent of crosswalks to not meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements,” according to the report.
Further, “six of 18 traffic signals lack full pedestrian accommodations,” and “pedestrian accommodation deficiencies were identified for nearly all the signalized intersections in the study area,” the report found.
The report, funded partly through a grant from the Chester County Planning Commission, further identifies gaps in the sidewalk network; key corridors to getting pedestrians downtown; needed connections to shopping centers and the capital projects needed to improve them for safety and an increased population.
The report notes that with more than 2,500 new housing units planned or proposed, “the borough’s population may increase by one third or more.”
Counts by the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission in May indicated between 190 to 240 people walking each day on Second Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and Gay Street.
Walkability is more than a convenience. For handicapped residents and those living close to the poverty line, it is about mobility and employment.
The report notes that Phoenixville’s population is estimated by the Census at 16,743 people and that more than 10 percent of those people live with a disability and nine percent live below the poverty line.
“As household income increases, the likelihood that a person will commute to work by walking decreases,” the report found.
It identifies key intersections were improvements are needed, including Bridge and Main streets, Nutt Road and Gay Street, and a
Mowere Road connection.
A resident survey of more than 160 residents found most residents feel they can walk to their destination in the borough, although some said some locations are less accessible and feel less safe.
Of 534 total crashes between 2013 and 2017, only 5 percent, or 25, involved pedestrians although injuries in such crashes tend to be more serious.
“The highest concentration of crashes that involved pedestrians is along Bridge Street,” according to the report. “Fortunately, none of those crashes involved a pedestrian fatality.”
Recommendations for the Bridge and Main streets intersection include sidewalk “bump outs” to reduce “crossing distance” and upgrading pedestrian signals to include “countdown timers,” and prohibiting right-on-red turns.
Undertaking engineering for a multi-use trail along Mowere Road is another key recommendation.
At Nutt Road and Gay Street, where many high school and middle students cross, the report recommends closing the short leg of Fifth Avenue between Nutt and Gay “to reduce conflicts,” as well as
“adjusting driveways” and making crosswalks more perpendicular.
A public meeting on the plan was held on Sept. 4 and more input gathered for the plan.
Once adopted, the plan will serve as the basis for moving forward with capital projects, as well as supporting grant applications.
The Dec. 10 meeting also includes public hearings on zoning changes and parking regulations. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in borough hall at 351 Bridge St.