Newtown Township Awarded Grant For Pedestrian Safety Projects

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Major pedestrian safety improvements are coming to two Newtown Township intersections this year.

On Monday, Newtown Township learned that it has been awarded a $326,931 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to install pedestrian improvements at two unsignalized intersections in the township - North Sycamore Street and Silo Drive and at a mid-block crossing at Tara Boulevard and the Newtown-Yardley Road.

The township will use the grant dollars to install overhead and post-mounted rapid flashing beacons, federally compliant signage, pedestrian push buttons, and high-visibility crosswalks.

Since 2022, the residents of Newtown Walk have lobbied for safety improvements at the mid-block crossing at Tara Boulevard, which is heavily used by residents to access the Newtown Trail on the south side of Newtown-Yardley Road. The trail provides safe pedestrian access to downtown Newtown Borough.

The beacons are part of a multi-pronged project to improve safety at the mid-block crossing, which has been the site of numerous near misses. The township had previously reduced the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph along the stretch of roadway in an attempt to improve safety there.

Newtown Walk resident Charles Feuer uses the pedestrian walkway at Tara Boulevard to cross busy Newtown-Yardley Road as a vehicle crosses over the walkway. The law requires motorists to stop whenever a pedestrian is in a crosswalk.

Newtown Walk residents who have been lobbying for the improvements since 2022 said they are grateful for the funding, which they said will improve safety at the crossing.

Marc Bjorkman said he's hopeful that the enhanced signalization will allow anyone who crosses at Tara Boulevard to have a higher probability of making it across the road safely. "We have had too many close calls for comfort," he said. "Citizen safety is the number one job of the government and we are very grateful to have the support of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors in recognizing the problem and working closely with us to remediate the situation."

Resident Valerie Mihalek added, "We are very happy to see that the township has followed through and received the grant that will help us address this overdue safety issue for all. Our hope is that with the improvements, this area and our township will become more pedestrian friendly and safer."

Like his neighbors, Charles Feuer said he is also gratified to hear that PennDOT has come through with the funding.

"They listened and heard of a community's pedestrian safety concerns with their roadways and have invested their funds to improve awareness and conditions for both motorists and those on foot or bicycle."

He also commended the towship's administration and police for their responsiveness to their concerns and for "having the foresight to apply for the PENDOT funding."

The crosswalk at North Sycamore Street and Silo Drive at the Green Parrot has also been a safety concern in the township. The intersection has been the site of several pedestrian accidents.

The township has taken measures to improve site distance in and around the intersection. It also eliminated right turns on red at the intersection of Route 532 and North Sycamore Street to better regulate traffic flow at the intersection.

The funding for the two projects was announced by PennDOT through its ARLE program, which awards grants to improve safety at signalized intersections.

The funding for the program is supplied by fines from red light violations at 34 intersections in
Philadelphia. State law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility and reducing congestion can be considered for funding.

Municipalities submitted 97 applications, totaling $54 million in requests. Projects were selected by an eight-member committee based on criteria such as safety benefits and effectiveness, cost, and local and regional impact.

“This program helps communities across the state make important investments in traffic flow and safety,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “These improvements complement the many
road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania, and are in line with the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to invest in Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and help keep communities connected safely to opportunity and each other.”