BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — Bethlehem Township is looking to join its neighboring city in prioritizing active transportation for residents.
And though it won’t happen overnight, the process has begun and more discussion is planned this summer, and action later this year.
The infrastructure changes have been set forth in the form of an Active Transportation Plan.
- Bethlehem Township commissioners heard more Monday evening on an Active Transportation Plan in the works to improve walking, biking and public transit access
- A state Department of Health grant is slated to fund the improvements
- Resident concerns involve busy roadways moving through the township
Representatives with an urban planning company were at the township municipal building Monday to share more on the process at hand.
The general goals of the plan include the following:
- Expand connections to destinations
- Improve safety
- Improve public health
- Improve access to public transit
- Provide on-road biking facilities
- Promote walking and biking
Rob Gates, transportation planner with McMahon Associates of Allentown, said a state Health Department WalkWorks grant of $27,500 would be used to fund improvements to benefit all township residents and visitors.
“It’s kind of a network that has different levels of connections, different levels of facilities depending on the user types. So making it accessible for all users of all ages and abilities is the overriding goal.”Rob Gates, transportation planner with McMahon Associates
“It’s kind of a network that has different levels of connections, different levels of facilities depending on the user types,” Gates said. “So making it accessible for all users of all ages and abilities is the overriding goal.”
Natasha Manbeck, senior project manager with McMahon, said the WalkWorks grant requires work to be completed by the end of September.
A draft plan should be in front of its respective township committee later in June, with another public review session likely to come in July.
The plan can help the township make well-rounded development decisions in the future, Gates said.
“The idea is not to be a plan that just gets stuck on the wall,” Gates explained.
“It’s a plan that can be utilized by the township as kind of guiding principles moving forward as they develop new projects, and use that to identify where they should prioritize and go after that funding for new projects to hopefully make the township more connected and more easily accessible for everybody involved.”
Based on future public input, some capital improvement projects could include:
- Sidewalk connections along Easton Avenue and Nazareth Pike
- Bikeways along Washington Street as well as Reeve, Rexford and Campbell drives
- Bike lanes along Church and Bethman roads
- Bikeway on Emrick Boulevard
- Farmersville Road to D&L Pedestrian Path
- Emerald Hills Greenway extension to Municipal Park
- Green Pond Road Pedestrian Path extension to Farmersville Road
- Monocacy Greenway to Housenick Park and Nazareth Pike
- Repairs to D&L Trail and trailheads at Sculac Road and the Route 33 Boat Launch
According to a previous presentation from the people handling the next steps of the Active Transportation Plan, township issues surrounding this topic include:
- Incomplete sidewalks along Nazareth Pike, Easton Avenue/William Penn Highway, and Freemansburg Avenue
- Barriers along Route 22, Route 33 and other corridors creating challenges for walkers and bikers
- Lack of access for connections to existing parks and similar areas; some parks don’t allow bikes
- Narrow streets with “poor surface conditions” and no sidewalks
- Lack of connections to major institutions (St. Luke’s, Northampton Community College) and other regional destinations (D&L Trail, Louise Moore County Park)
- Transit access limited because of insufficient sidewalk access and walking infrastructure
- Pedestrian crossings
- Topography challenges because of steep slopes in the southern part of the township
Gates said another presentation at the board of commissioners’ March meeting drew feedback from people around the township.
“That’s where a lot of our recommendations kind of stemmed from, just figuring out where people are having issues accessing certain amenities,” Gates said.
“We have that in conjunction with a survey and a public map, as well, that people participated on throughout the last couple of months.”
Of the 838 total reportable crashes in the township from 2017-21, pedestrians were involved in 1.6%, while bicyclists were involved in 1.2%, according to results from PennDOT’s Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool.
Of those percentages and 13 total crashes involving pedestrians, four resulted in a “Suspected Serious Injury.” Out of 10 crashes involving a bike, there were three “Suspected Serious Injuries” and one fatality.
The data supports the Active Transportation Plan’s goal to address the hotspots where some of these crashes took place, which included popular intersections and corridors such as those mentioned.
“They’ve got a good analysis on how they try to connect existing facilities, the trails."David Wong, township resident
Township resident David Wong said he’s familiar with the area roads and the D&L Trail, as he frequents them for his runs. On Monday, he discussed potential improvements and providing input for the McMahon representatives.
“They’ve got a good analysis on how they try to connect existing facilities, the trails,” Wong said.
He said more traffic lights should be considered for Freemansburg Avenue, considering the eastbound traffic moves fast and could lead to injuries for anybody trying to cross the road north and southward.
