ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Pedestrian safety continues to be residents' chief concern regarding the Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor Project planned along the Lehigh River in Allentown and Whitehall Township.
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Transportation Study Technical Committee heard from a few of those residents during a virtual meeting Wednesday.
- Pedestrian safety is a main concern of residents regarding the planned Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor Project
- Residents suggest the project include low-speed limit along the route
- The project is expected to begin next summer and take five years to complete
The $57.6 million project to build several miles of roads and trails near the river is expected to begin in the summer of 2024 and take five years.
Scott Slingerland, director at Coalition for Appropriate Transportation in Bethlehem, asked the committee if a low-speed limit is planned for Riverside Drive.
“Safety is our highest priority for the design of the project."Becky A. Bradley, secretary, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission technical and coordinating committees
Becky A. Bradley, secretary of the planning commission’s technical and coordinating committees, assured Slingerland that safety has always been a part of the discussions with Allentown and Whitehall.
“Safety is our highest priority for the design of the project,” Bradley said. “We will continue [the] discussion about that with the design team and the communities.”
Fences and barriers
Lehigh Valley transport engineer Patrick Osei has said there are plans for 25 mph speed limit signs along the route.
Other suggestions made by residents concerned about the safety of those using the walking paths included adding fences and barriers.
Liz Rosencrans, director of Trails & Conservation at Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, suggested widening the sidewalks to 14 feet along Riverside Drive and 14-16 feet on the trails.
The Riverside Drive revitalization project also could create opportunities for housing, retail and recreational development.Lehigh Valley Planning officials
Plans for the Riverside Drive project are to redevelop the road from Hamilton Street in Allentown to Race Street in Whitehall.
Lehigh Valley Planning officials say the project would make it easier to travel around the region and ease traffic congestion by offering buses an alternative to Routes 22 and 145.
Osei has said the project would include a new north-south route for Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority buses between Allentown and Whitehall.
The Riverside Drive revitalization project also could create opportunities for housing, retail and recreational development, officials have said.
The next joint and technical committee meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 21.
Staff writer Jason Addy contributed to this report
