PennDot is creating a Plan for the Bayfront Parkway....
....They Want to Hear from You!
Unbeknownst to many of us, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation initiated a study of the Bayfront Parkway corridor that runs from West 12th Street to East 12th Street. According to the new website that just went live,"…the study team will consider various modes of travel and collect technical information, such as traffic counts, congestions, and travel demands. Other factors such as economic development and safety will also be studied." All transportation methods -- private vehicles, mass transit, bicycles, and foot traffic -- will be included.
Traffic counts and origin-destination studies were initiated in August, and stakeholders -- entities that have an interest in the project -- have already been interviewed. They include local municipalities, businesses, authorities, and civic organizations. For a full list, go here.
This is where you come in. On the site, citizens are urged to take a survey. Go directly to the survey here.
The survey is quite detailed, allowing anyone to prioritize various components that will impact the study like safety, mass transit, speed, pedestrian and bicycle access and more. It also provides an interactive map where anyone can indicate locations along the study corridor and designate what improvement is needed there. Opportunities to comment are plentiful.
You have until February 27, 2015 to take the survey and provide input.
Two public meetings are scheduled for the first half of 2015. The first meeting will address results from the public survey and help identify potential improvement areas. The second meeting is anticipated to help refine possible improvement alternatives.
A draft of a "Purpose and Need" document is anticipated in early 2015, after the public survey and meetings.
Everyone, and yes, I mean you, should take this survey. This is an unparalleled opportunity to tell some big, bureaucratic, state agency, exactly how you feel. The Bayfront Parkway and the surrounding areas hold some of the most promise for positive development in this city. You should care about that.
