Scranton City Council approved a downtown streetscape plan that officials say will make center city more pedestrian-friendly, draw attention to downtown businesses and help first responders.
"The status quo in many cities like Scranton was not working, and our car-centric downtowns were unsafe for pedestrians and equally bad for small businesses that were struggling in downtowns everywhere,” said Wayne Evans, a former council member and mayor who started the city's walkability study.
Council president Gerald Smurl and members Bill King and Jessica Rothchild cast the three yes votes Tuesday night.
Council members Tom Schuster and Mark McAndrew voted against two resolutions associated with the streetscape plan. Their concerns are about whether stop signs and two-way streets improve safety and if there was enough public awareness about the project.
Council weighs in on resolutions
The resolutions are:
- Installing all-way stops instead of traffic lights at certain downtown intersections
- Converting certain portions of the downtown from one-way streets to two-way streets and from two-way to one-way streets
"Everybody that I've spoken to, my constituents, do not like the removal of these stop lights,” Schuster said.
STREET CHANGES
- Install and establish all-way stop signs at: Lackawanna and Penn Avenue; Biden Street and Penn Avenue; Linden Street and Penn Avenue; Linden Street and Wyoming Avenue; Linden Street and North Washington Avenue; Vine Street and Adams Avenue; and Vine Street and Jefferson Avenue.
- Change two lane one-way streets to two-way streets, including: Biden Street from Jefferson Avenue to Franklin Street; Linden Street from Jefferson Avenue to Penn Avenue; Adams Avenue, from Lackawanna Avenue to Vine Street; and North Washington Avenue from Lackawanna Avenue to Olive Street
- Dupont Court and Forest Court will be one way streets
Schuster did say he agrees that the city’s aging infrastructure needs to be replaced.
“I do agree with bump-outs near the Ritz Theater. I do agree with water issues and storm basins by Downtown Deli and some of these other places,” he said, adding that the whole plan is not contingent on the resolutions.
McAndrew said he is in favor of making downtown more walkable, enhanced lighting on Lackawanna Avenue, new sidewalks, new curbs and paving.
"The stormwater can be addressed during this project, yes. Underground utilities? Like it. Love it. There's a whole project. There's not just the street signs and the lights,” he said.
McAndrew also said that he wished some of the American Rescue Plan Act money would have gone into the neighborhoods.
Smurl said any amendments would have sidelined the plan because of how the state Department of Transportation operates.
"If we change one section of it, it goes back to PennDOT, and then this simply will not happen, because PennDOT doesn't do anything fast,” Smurl said.
The city had to get PennDOT’s approval. The city’s engineer, Riley and Associates, submitted a 4,000 page study to the state agency.
King said his yes vote was for progress.
"I do believe that there is a pedestrian safety issue within Scranton, and that's evident by the data showing the accidents, the pedestrians that have been hit and and some killed as a result, and I want to make downtown as safe as possible,” Rothchild said.
The plan
Scranton officials, including Mayor Paige Cognetti, introduced the streetscape plan to council on Oct. 14.
Ahead of that meeting, Cognetti said the $15 million project would improve traffic overall across the downtown.
"It's not just about walking, it's also about safe driving. It's also about businesses having a more attractive frontage for their customers and to be able to have people coming in," she said. "It's about getting around the courthouse in one full loop. It's about having our streets make more sense and be safer for our first responders."
It's funded by state and federal money.
Residents give opinions
Doug Heller walked to the meeting from his home in Scranton’s Hill Section.
"Some of the streets I have to cross like people are really moving. So I think there's value in slowing traffic down, moving away from one way streets with two lanes of traffic to one way streets with stop signs,” he said. “And I think if they slow down, they might say, as others have thought or suggested … ‘hey, look at that restaurant, or look at that store, or look at whatever, maybe we should get out and, you know, spend some of our dollars here.’”
Some residents and frequent speakers at Scranton City Council meetings are against the plan.
Lee Morgan said they are vacant buildings and few people in business downtown.
"I've watched a lot of projects take place in this city, the one we're talking about now in the downtown, has absolutely no merit, because the downtown isn't a neighborhood," Morgan said. "There's a lot of the grant money that should have been spent in the neighborhoods was diverted away from it.”
Downtown business owners & developers in favor
Evans said he’s lived downtown for the past eight-and-a-half years.
He came to the meeting Tuesday with a letter of support on behalf of many of the downtown developers. He said they have invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” in downtown, own dozens of buildings with storefronts and have built at least 600 luxury apartments.
"Their support speaks volumes to the importance of this project,” he said.
Leslie Collins, from Scranton Tomorrow, also said she has not heard a single complaint from downtown business owners on the project.
Bob Durkin, president and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber facilitated a meeting between 50 Scranton business owners and the city’s engineer, Riley and Associates.
He said the group was overwhelmingly in favor of the plan.
"It's a great city. It's a great town. This is a great opportunity to add to the investments that have already been made to make Scranton and downtown Scranton even better," he said.
IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE
- Bump outs will be added to intersections to reduce pedestrian travel path length and keep parked cars will be kept away from cross walks to improve visibility between pedestrians and drivers
- Crosswalks will be better aligned with sidewalk travel paths to improve pedestrian flow and make it more straightforward for the visually impaired
- Cross-walk will be increased to 10 feet and brightly colored stamped asphalt will be added to increase visibility.
- Flashing LEDs will be added to new stop sign intersections with hands free activation
- Pedestrian signals will be improved.
- Sidewalks will be updated and ADAs ramps will be constructed at better slopes and alignment with sidewalks
- Bike lanes will be added to Wyoming Avenue
- Some overhead wires will move below ground
- Add more historic period lighting and shade trees
- Add 69 more on-street parking spaces
