Scranton officials unveil $15.5 million downtown streetscape plan after PennDOT approval

Scranton officials presented details of a PennDOT-approved downtown streetscape plan at a City Council briefing, describing a $15,500,000 package of improvements that would convert multiple one-way couplets to two-way traffic, remove unwarranted traffic signals, add pedestrian safety treatments and place many overhead utilities underground.

The project matters, officials said, because it is intended to slow vehicle speeds in the downtown retail and residential core, improve sightlines at crosswalks, add on-street parking and shorten emergency response routes — and because critical grant funding tied to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) rules must be spent by Sept. 30, 2026. “We are pleased to announce that PennDOT has approved this,” Mayor Cognetti said during the briefing.

City engineer Tom Riley and staff described the technical work behind the plan, which Riley said is grounded in a large traffic study and intersection-by-intersection analysis. “Reduce vehicle speeds, otherwise called traffic calming,” Riley said when summarizing the safety goals. The plan’s elements include converting certain two-lane one-way streets to two-way operation, adding curb bump-outs to shorten pedestrian crossings and improve visibility, realigning crosswalks, providing high-visibility stamped crosswalk paving and installing hands-free and audible pedestrian signals for accessibility.

Police Chief Tom Carroll and Fire Chief John Judge both told council the changes are designed to improve safety and emergency access. Carroll said the police department reviewed crash and enforcement data for recent years and noted a spike in enforcement this year; he concluded that “Scranton Police Department supports this action.” Fire Chief John Judge described impediments the current street pattern creates for fire apparatus and said the conversion will “definitely increase public safety.”

Funding and timeline. Project manager Eileen Cipriani said the project will be delivered in six funding “pots” and involves multiple funding sources, including RACP (Redevelopment Assistance/related program allocations), local LSA-type allocations, multimodal grants and ARPA dollars. “This is a $15,500,000 project downtown,” Cipriani said, and she told council the ARPA portion carries an expiration that requires the project to remain on a compressed schedule. Cipriani also said the city engaged 62 downtown businesses and multiple stakeholders — including the Association for the Blind, the Center for Independent Living, COLTS and downtown developers — during design.

Scope and design details. Riley said the study initially counted roughly 35 intersections for the model and described a detailed analysis of controls at each corner; later in the presentation he referenced 38 intersections where signal or stop-control changes are proposed. Where signals are removed, the team plans to install temporary, paint-and-flexible-delineator bump-outs, bag the old signal heads during a public-notice period, run the removed signals on flash and then monitor the intersection for at least 60 days (and commonly three months) before making removal permanent. If an intersection experiences unacceptable delay during the test period, it may be kept under signal control after review.

Accessibility and technology. The plan calls for hands-free and audible pedestrian controllers at signalized intersections, wider, brighter crosswalk surfacing and LED-flashing beacons at proposed stop-controlled corners. Riley said overhead mast arms will remain at four specified intersections to support overhead stop signage and to retain CCTV views for police and IT staff. He told council the new signal controllers and many hardware items would become city property and be reused where possible.

Parking and other benefits. Council was told the streetscape work would add downtown parking: the administration said it expects 69 new on-street spaces, mainly on Lackawanna and Wyoming avenues. Other stated benefits include improved truck turning geometry at Mulberry and Jefferson for Route 11 traffic, additional options for street closures during events and better visibility and alignment for crosswalks to assist people with visual impairments.

Next steps. Riley said the design team has more material to present and offered to return for a follow-up briefing; council scheduled a continuation so the team can complete the presentation and answer additional questions. Council members and staff emphasized public outreach and committed to monitoring the trial signal removals and redistributions of traffic during the test period.

Quotes in context are drawn from the council briefing transcript and reflect speakers’ remarks during the presentation portion of the meeting. No formal vote on the plan or related ordinances was recorded during the portion of the meeting included in the transcript.