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Resident urges council to study one‑way streets, speed and commuter‑rail options in Carlisle
Summary
A Carlisle resident urged council at the March 13 meeting to reconsider one‑way street conversions, push for two‑way traffic on several corridors to reduce speeding, and explore commuter‑rail and bypass options to reduce truck traffic through town.
Don Smith, a Carlisle resident who said he lives on H Street, used the public‑comment period at the March 13 Borough Council meeting to request a traffic study and to urge restoring two‑way traffic on several streets.
Smith, who said students walk to school and that the corridor includes an international food market and new housing, told council: "The complaint here is speeding." He described H Street as 36 feet wide with parking on both sides and said narrow sections on Bedford (32 feet) and other routes create problems. "I don't have a problem riding a bicycle through Carlisle, and I don't have a problem with bike lanes," Smith said, and suggested that converting some one‑way streets back to two‑way could recover travel lanes removed by prior road diets and reduce speeding.
Smith also urged council to consider routing heavy trucks onto bypasses (he mentioned Clermont Road and Newville Road connecting with North Street and Lowther Street) and to explore whether the town could make greater use of an idle rail line for commuter service. "Can we use it more? Can it be more useful to us?" he asked.
Mayor Sean Schultz thanked Smith and said traffic engineering staff are working on the corridors cited and recommended a book on traffic engineering to provide additional background.
Why it matters: Smith raised issues that affect pedestrian and school safety, bus routes and the everyday mobility of cyclists and drivers. Councilors and staff will consider traffic‑engineering analysis before making changes; Smith specifically asked for a study prior to additional design changes such as curb realignments and painted lane configurations.
Speakers quoted
"The complaint here is speeding," — Don Smith, resident.
"I don't have a problem riding a bicycle through Carlisle, and I don't have a problem with bike lanes," — Don Smith, resident.
"Can we use it more? Can it be more useful to us?" — Don Smith, resident.
"The traffic engineering isn't quite on the mark, but we are working on those corridors," — Mayor Sean Schultz.
Sources: Public comment portion, Carlisle Borough Council meeting transcript, March 13, 2025.
