Lehigh University will get a “rare opportunity” to find out what will happen in South Bethlehem if it shuts down Packer Avenue to vehicles for 45 days this spring.
On Tuesday night, Bethlehem City Council in a 3-2 vote narrowly approved Lehigh’s pitch to temporarily close Packer Avenue between Vine and Webster streets for 45 days this spring to test the impact on traffic patterns, parking and pedestrian usage.
Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith and Dr. Paige Van Virt cast the dissenting votes. Councilwoman Olga Negron and Councilman Bryan Callahan were absent.
The university expects limiting cars will make the campus more friendly to pedestrians and funnel more foot traffic off the mountain into the Southside business district. But Lehigh has promised it will terminate the study early if it causes serious problems.
Lehigh’s pitch for a permanent closure has been met with plenty of questions and some skepticism from its own campus community as well as Southside neighbors, who fear shutting down the road will worsen the existing traffic gridlock on Third and Fourth streets.
“We see this as a way to further pull the core of the campus into Southside," said Brent Stringfellow, Lehigh architect and associate vice president for facilities.
Council members who supported the study emphasized no decisions have been made about a permanent closure and raised many questions they want answered.
Mayor Bob Donchez said his primary concern is the traffic impact on the surrounding residents.
Van Wirt called it a tough decision, but said she felt unconvinced Lehigh had made the case there’s a major safety issue.
A 2018 traffic study found that roughly 1,200 members of the Lehigh campus and surrounding community crossed Packer Avenue each day.
Lehigh University Police Chief Jason Schiffer said after years spent as a Bethlehem city bike cop he understands the traffic patterns and pedestrian concerns intimately. He advocated for rational decision making.
“We all get to test a theory that it will work before the plan gets final approval," Schiffer said. "That’s a rare opportunity and a fact that should not be overlooked.”
He likened Packer Avenue at mid-day to a road that’s open during Musikfest. Currently, Lehigh’s Asa Packer campus has few level spots to hold large gatherings of people, but turning the road into a pedestrian-only space opens up a host of options, the chief said.
“I believe it can certainly become much more than an area for Lehigh-affiliated people to park their cars,” Schiffer said.
Van Wirt believes Lehigh ultimately wants to consolidate its campus, which is not inherently a bad thing, but if citizens are asked to give up this valuable city land they need to be confident in the process, she said. She urged Lehigh delay the pilot to the fall.
“I do have a vision of what this permanent closure could look like for Bethlehem and it’s a great vision,” Van Wirt said. "I think that it could be great thing for South Bethlehem if it’s done correctly. And that means it has to be a slower process that has the community involved from the get go.”
Councilman Adam Waldron said he’s not ready to support a permanent car closure amid too many unanswered questions. But he supports a pilot for data collection and to spur more conversations about breaking down the barriers between the community and Lehigh.
“We do have a great opportunity to see what the impact might be,” Waldron said.
Future conversations should focus on ways to make the area an inviting community space, Waldron said. Van Wirt suggested a playground.
Crampsie Smith questioned why Lehigh isn’t considering traffic-calming measures or a pedestrian bridge or a lighted crosswalk like Moravian College’s on Elizabeth Avenue.
Stringfellow said pedestrians aren’t crossing at just one point on Packer Avenue due to the number of buildings along the road. Future plans indicate there may be more construction activity so one crosswalk or bridge won’t help, he said.
“We look at safety as one component of this, but not the sole reason,” Stringfellow said.
Southside Resident Kim Carrell-Smith, who also works at Lehigh, questioned the wisdom of undertaking a traffic study when the school is undergoing unprecedented construction that’s worsening congestion.
Lehigh’s in the midst of a historic boom as it expands, but Stringfellow warned this may be the new normal.
“I would anticipate a circumstance in the future there could always be a major construction program going on at Lehigh for the next five to 10 years," he said. "Maybe not with the level of intensity we have now.”
Waldron also raised questions about what the value of the road and what Lehigh might pay for it.
Lehigh’s made a major push to replace cars on its campus with more feet on the street in recent years. This school year, the university instituted paid permit parking spots for employees and established a new commuter lot for employees who do not want to pay to park.
The initial efforts can be traced back to the school’s 2012 Campus Master Plan, which included sustainability goals of fewer cars on campus and expansion of Lehigh’s mass transit options. In the fall of 2018, the university revealed a Connections plan outlining a series of proposed changes to Lehigh’s parking and transportation systems.
Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
"street" - Google News
February 20, 2020 at 06:30PM
https://ift.tt/2SGA5jr
Why and when this South Bethlehem street is going car free - lehighvalleylive.com
"street" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Ql4mmJ
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment