PennDOT recommends road diet on Atherton Street between Westerly Parkway and Allen Street; council raises diversion and school‑crossing concerns

PennDOT on Thursday recommended implementing a three‑lane “road diet” on South Atherton Street between Westerly Parkway and Allen Street and transitioning back to the existing two‑lane‑each‑direction configuration east of Allen, following a road‑diet feasibility study.

The study, presented by Jared Lipinski, PennDOT design project manager for District 2, assessed pavement, drainage and safety upgrades along the corridor and evaluated whether lane reductions could be implemented without unacceptable traffic impacts. “I just wanna thank you guys, Borough Council, State College Borough for giving us the opportunity to provide an update on the Atherton Street phase 4 project,” Lipinski said at the start of the presentation.

The consultant presenting the study described the road diet as “the removal of travel lanes from the roadway or the reduction of travel lane, which creates space for other uses,” and said key goals are to reduce vehicle conflicts, improve side‑street access and create space for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project limits under study run from Westerly Parkway to University Drive; PennDOT recommended the diet only for the Westerly→Allen segment and a return to the existing cross‑section east of Allen because of auxiliary lanes, driveway movements and the need to avoid major widening near Pew Street.

What the study examined

The team conducted 2024 counts and projected conditions to 2049 for both a no‑build and a build (road‑diet) scenario. Counts showed average daily traffic (ADT) rising from about 7,700 vehicles near campus to roughly 11,000–15,000 mid‑corridor and approaching 25,000 near the eastern end. The presentation noted that road diets are commonly targeted for corridors with ADTs near or below about…