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PennDOT amenable to crosswalk, flashing beacons on Rochester Road to reach Little Richard Park; borough to seek cost estimate
Summary
Engineers told borough staff PennDOT would consider a crosswalk, flashing beacons and warning signage to improve the pedestrian connection to Little Richard Park. Borough staff will obtain a cost estimate and pursue permits and possible reallocation of local grant funds.
Borough staff and council discussed plans to improve pedestrian access to Little Richard Park across Rochester Road and said PennDOT engineers indicated conditional approval for a crosswalk with flashing beacons and warning signs.
Dennis (borough public works staff) and a PennDOT engineer met to review options and concluded PennDOT would likely accept an approach that extends the existing sidewalk on one side of Rochester Road, adds a crosswalk, and installs user‑activated flashing beacons and advance warning signage ahead of the curve.
Staff emphasized the proposed beacons would be push‑button activated rather than flashing continuously: “They’re not flashing all the time. Just if somebody wants to cross, they push the button and suddenly that car is now stuck and not stopped because once you've got a flashing light on the crosswalk, it's a stop,” a staff speaker explained, noting the expectation that the measures will improve safety though drivers still must obey traffic rules.
The borough will have the municipal engineer prepare an estimated project cost and apply for a Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) and signage permits from PennDOT. Funding options discussed include using borough crews for sidewalk construction to reduce cost, drawing on local share grant money, or pursuing reallocation of a $500,000 local share award that had been eyed for an addition to the Public Works building.
Councilors also discussed other small‑scale park and trail projects that could use the same funding, such as replacing bridges at Blueberry Hill Park and playground upgrades. Staff said they will reach out to state grant administrators (LSA) and elected officials to request permission to reallocate funds if necessary.
No final funding decision or permit was made at the work session; staff will obtain an engineer’s estimate and pursue PennDOT approvals.
