Council approves $1.09 million for 19th Street and Roth Avenue intersection upgrade tied to Green Light Go grant

The Allentown City Council voted unanimously April 1 to approve Bill 24, adding $1,087,390 to the city’s 2026 capital fund to upgrade the intersection of 19th Street and Roth Avenue as part of a Green Light Go grant award.

Clerk read the ordinance and noted the grant is partially reimbursable and requires local matching resources. During committee discussion, the committee chair said, “So, just during the meeting, we discussed that this is a matching grant. So we will be matching a 199,000 roughly of it,” and noted an $89,000 supplemental appropriation would come from the general fund.

The ordinance was forwarded to full council from the committee and passed on a recorded vote with six yays and no nays. Council members emphasized that the city will secure the grant funds and then adjust local appropriations and transfers to cover the match.

Why it matters: the Green Light Go program funds signal- and intersection-related improvements intended to reduce congestion and improve safety. The reimbursement structure means the city will initially spend some local funds and be reimbursed later, so finance staff will need to manage timing and transfers.

What’s next: project implementation will be managed through the public works department and the finance director; Council member questions signaled follow-up with the director of finance to clarify the source and timing of the matching and the proposed $89,000 supplemental appropriation.

The council approved the ordinance by a 6–0 vote.