- Dorney Park will build a sidewalk along Hamilton Boulevard from Haines Mill Road westward to the park entrance
- South Whitehall commissioners also voted to pursue a grant that would fund a safety audit of the corridor to see what other improvements could be added
- Hamilton Boulevard is recognized as a regional high-crash corridor
SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Driving along Hamilton Boulevard on nice summer days, chances are you’ll see groups of people walking to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.
Around the amusement park's entrance, Hamilton Boulevard has no sidewalks, so park visitors walk on the grassy strip along the road.
Some even run across the four lanes of 45-mph traffic, since there are no nearby crosswalks.
That soon will change.
“The intent of the road safety audit is to get some concrete projects out of this so that we have direction moving forward and the best method to move forward.”Director of Community Development David Manhardt
Dorney Park will build a sidewalk along Hamilton Boulevard.
And the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted to pursue a grant that would fund a safety audit of the corridor to see what other improvements could be added.
“There's been a lot of ideas thrown out there, whether it's a pedestrian bridge, a tunnel or midblock crosswalk — all these ideas are out there,” township Director of Community Development David Manhardt said.
“So the intent of the road safety audit is to get some concrete projects out of this so that we have direction moving forward and the best method to move forward with safety improvements for that corridor.”
Planned sidewalk
Dorney Park will construct a sidewalk along Hamilton Boulevard from Haines Mill Road westward to the park entrance.
The park is responsible for designing, planning, installing and paying for the sidewalk, which will run about 1,500 feet — more than a quarter-mile.
The project is estimated to be completed in September.
"Plans are moving forward. We will continue to work with all parties involved on this project."Jessica Naderman, General Manager and Vice President of Dorney Park
Dorney General Manager and Vice President Jessica Naderman said park staff have surveyed the area and submitted the escrow check for the project.
They are currently reviewing an agreement with the township, she said.
"Plans are moving forward," Naderman said via email. "We will continue to work with all parties involved on this project.”
The sidewalk construction was a condition of approval for Dorney’s plan for its new roller coaster, Iron Menace.
Representatives from the park initially argued that the sidewalk requirement did not make sense for this project because the park would have as many rides as it has had before.
South Whitehall Planning Commission agreed with that assessment, but township commissioners voted to require the sidewalk, as is typical for land development plans in the township.
Safety audit
Even after the sidewalk is installed, there will be other safety concerns.
Two hotels are on the other side of Hamilton Boulevard from the park, so hotel guests sometimes run across the road to avoid its $30 parking fee.
There also is a bus stop across the street from the park — with no crosswalks leading to it.
Because of that, South Whitehall Township now is applying for a grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development to fund a road safety audit for Hamilton Boulevard.
The audit would be conducted between Route 78 and South Cedar Crest Boulevard.
“Hamilton Boulevard is recognized as a regional high-crash corridor, with over 70 collisions having been documented since 2015, while many more are assumed to be unreported. ”South Whitehall commissioners information packet
“Hamilton Boulevard is recognized as a regional high-crash corridor, with over 70 collisions having been documented since 2015, while many more are assumed to be unreported,” an information packet for commissioners read.
“This corridor presents unique safety concerns due to the influx of visitors from out of the region and the increased number of seasonal employees associated with Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.”
Road safety audits help to identify specific elements of a roadway that may present a safety concern, and proposes mitigation strategies.
Township Manager Tom Petrucci said the township could have a contract by May, but the timeline is dependent on the Department of Community and Economic Development.
