ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The stream of traffic that whizzed past South Mountain Middle School on Tuesday morning provided a fitting backdrop for the event at hand.
Vehicles were racing horizontally; emissions were rising vertically.
Meanwhile, standing among four ceremonial checks totaling $1.5 million from the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study to address transportation safety and carbon emissions in the city, Allentown School District Chief Operating Officer Robert Whartenby shared a story.
Allentown received four separate grants under two distinct programs — the Transportation Alternative Set-Aside, or TASA, and the Carbon Reduction Program, or CRP.Lehigh Valley Transportation Study news conference
“I’ve received dozens of phone calls from people telling me they were worried about kids crossing into intersections from between cars,” Whartonby said during a ceremony outside the school.
“These weren’t all from parents who have kids in school, just people concerned about their safety. This money will help provide a safety net for those children.”
The city received four separate grants under two distinct programs — the Transportation Alternative Set-Aside, or TASA, and the Carbon Reduction Program, or CRP.
TASA is funded though the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the state Transportation Department.
It directs money to community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by integrating biking, pedestrian safety and education program projects into the transportation network to improve safety and mobility.
‘Shining example,' economic impact
The grants were allocated through a competitive selection process, prioritizing projects that enhance safety, connectivity and accessibility within the Lehigh Valley region.
The CRP grant is dedicated to advancing transportation alternatives projects such as bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and promoting sustainable and green infrastructure, including public transit.
“This money will improve safety and visibility for thousands of children who walk to and from schools like this one every day."Becky A. Bradley, Lehigh Valley Transportation Study secretary
It's also dedicated to implementing transportation systems that reduce the environmental and community impacts of freight movement.
The LVPC's partnership with AARP and the Greater Lehigh Valley United Way in prior Walk Audits provided data to help identify the most critical areas for pedestrian improvements, including corridors near South Mountain Middle School.
“This money will improve safety and visibility for thousands of children who walk to and from schools like this one every day,” said Becky A. Bradley, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission executive director and LVTS secretary.
“It will help improve things like crosswalks and pedestrian signalization markings at various school sites around the city.”
‘Shining example,' economic impact
The TASA grants include:
- Safe Routes to School upgrades: $400,000 for Allentown to begin modernizing existing school zone traffic controls and installing eight new ones. The improvements are part of a $2.4 million plan to improve school safety zones throughout the district.
- Albert Street Share the Road Corridor: $95,000 to add pavement markings along Albert Street to provide a clear connection to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Trail Network.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said the improvements will help achieve his goal of no pedestrian/roadway fatalities and serious injuries in the city by 2030.
“There are more and more kids in our city and people are getting around in lots of different ways,” Tuerk said. “They're riding bikes, they're riding scooters and e-bikes. I saw somebody on a push scooter today, and people bicycling.
“There’s also more cars on the road in the city, just a lot more activity. So we need to continue to invest in infrastructure that keeps everybody safe.”
‘We can lower that number'
The CRP grants address:
- LED Streetlight Conversion: $719,000 to install LED lighting along pedestrian corridors throughout the school district to improve energy efficiency, visibility and safety.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Drive: $300,000 to modernize key intersections with Americans with Disabilities Act ramps, traffic control signals, sidewalks and crosswalks.
"We know from our research that this region emits 12.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year. That’s 14.7 metric tons for every resident who lives here."Becky A. Bradley, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission executive director and LVTS secretary
The transportation safety and emissions projects rose to the top of a list of more than 100 that applied because the improvements will touch the lives of families across the city, Bradley said.
“And we know from our research that this region emits 12.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year,” she said. “That’s 14.7 metric tons for every resident who lives here.
“That research shows that two-thirds of all of our transportation emissions come from passenger vehicles — not trucks or buses.
"We can lower that number by reducing congestion and encouraging people to walk, bike or use transit. These projects do that.”
