A local man has started an online petition drive to drop President Joe Biden’s name from main roads into the city’s downtown.
Eric Skurka started the petition drive on change.org. By Thursday afternoon, more than 15,000 people signed it, though it appears most signers live well outside Scranton. Skurka's narrative explaining the petition says he's a Scranton resident, but voter registration records and multiple online references show he lives in Moosic.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan spearheaded the name changes as a city councilman.
Gaughan said changing back makes no sense. He suspects the presidential election year fueled the petition.
“And these are just people who … obviously don't like the president,” Gaughan said.
Skurka could not be reached for an interview. In an online explanation of the petition, he said President Biden Expressway and Biden Street undermine “the identity of our community.”
“We are proud of our roots, and we do not want them overshadowed by political affiliations,” he wrote.
The petition would return both to their previous names --- Central Scranton Expressway and Spruce Street.
When the City Council changed the names in 2021, some downtown business owners complained about potential expenses and confusion the change would bring.
Gaughan said Scranton remains one of a few dozen cities that can claim a president was born there.
“I think it was a good idea then. And it's bearing out to be a great idea, because I think he's doing a wonderful job as President,” Gaughan said. “It's staying as Biden Expressway and Biden Street.”
PennDOT District Executive Rich Roman said renaming state roads within city limits is up to city officials. Whatever they want, PennDOT will do.
“But if they decide to do that, they also have to understand that there will be a cost to rename, especially some of the larger signs off of interstate 81 that will have to be changed,” Roman said.
That could cost $20,000 or more.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect more information about where Eric Skurka lives.
