Franklin Avenue Bus Stop Will Remain

The Franklin Avenue bus stop will stay put.

The mayor and council made it official Tuesday night that there is no longer a need to consider removing the Franklin Avenue bus stop since on the east side of the Boulevard which allowed for one more parking space.

A public hearing to continue discussion on the ordinance was scheduled for the June 28 meeting, however at the start of the meeting, Mayor Rose Heck made a motion to remove the ordinance, which would have deleted the Franklin Avenue bus stop from both sides of the Boulevard, from the agenda.

Mayor Heck stated in her report that the shortening of the stop allowed for one more parking space which met some of the needs of the police department and the Chamber of Commerce and therefore the needs of the public who expressed concerns about the removal of the bus stop. She called it a “satisfactory resolution to some of the problem.”

Jefferson Avenue resident Manigeh Saadatian told the mayor and council that she and her husband Andrew Rusin wanted to express their sincere appreciation to all involved for helping to retain the Franklin Avenue bus stop. Saadatian and Rusin were among the many residents who had expressed their concerns about the possible removal of the stop at the May 24 hearing.

That night council members agreed to continue the public hearing to allow more time to seek other options before making a decision as a result of the concerns numerous residents expressed.

Residents’ concerns included an inconvenience to those in the Franklin Avenue neighborhood as well as the needs of senior residents and those with health issues who would have had to walk several blocks to catch a bus.

Borough officials originally were considering removing the stop due to a recommendation which the police department had made concerning congestion and safety in that area.