Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Borough seeks direction on multimodal grant, weighing Lenora Drive, Rochester Road and school crossings
Summary
With a multimodal grant application due July 31, staff asked councilors to pick one or two secondary projects to pair with a crossing to reach the $100,000 threshold; candidates include Lenora Drive, Rochester Road, a middle/elementary-school crossing and a YMCA connection. A sidewalk inventory/GIS proposal was estimated at $4,500.
Staff told the council there is a multimodal grant due July 31 and that the borough needs at least one secondary project to push a primary crossing project above the roughly $100,000 threshold for grant packaging. “I only need one to get over the $100,000 threshold,” the chair said, asking councilors to signal which projects staff should include in the application.
Candidates discussed included a Nicholson corridor connection, gap‑filling near an elementary or middle school, Lenora Drive improvements (raised repeatedly as a safety priority for children), a short crossing near the YMCA and a short stretch on Rochester Road. Councilors emphasized prioritizing higher‑traffic roads and school routes over low‑traffic neighborhood gaps; one speaker noted that buses serve some Rochester Road neighborhoods and a crossing there could encourage risky pedestrian behavior near bus routes.
Financial details raised at the meeting: staff said typical grant programs require a local match (discussed as roughly 30 percent) and that most grants have a two‑ to three‑year implementation window. Staff also presented an estimate from a consultant to create a full sidewalk inventory (PDF and GIS shapefiles) to identify gaps for grant support; the high‑end cost estimate provided was $4,500.
The chair asked councilors to identify one or two priority projects so staff can compile quotes and prepare a resolution at the next regular meeting. No final selection was made at this session; staff will follow up with cost estimates and a recommended package for the grant application.
