Falls Plans to Adopt Traffic Advisory Committee, Contemplates Sidewalks on New Falls Road

On Tuesday March 4, the Falls Township Board of Supervisors gathered to address 12 items on their agenda. The meetings main focus while not entirely laid out became to be more about necessary measures to help make the township a safer place to travel.

The township board was first approached by Thomas Beach of Remington & Vernick Engineers and Affiliates. Beach proposed that with his firms assistance, the township may apply for a grant through the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Pennsylvania Transportation Alternatives Program.

Beach proposed that the township apply for this grant (which deadline is April 3, 2014) by submitting all pertinent supporting materials, all preliminary engineering drawings and engineering cost estimates in support of a sidewalk on New Falls Road.

This sidewalk will consist of a new sidewalk on the western side of New Falls Road from Hood Boulevard and Penn Valley Road to Vermillion Drive and Thornridge Pass. The sidewalk will connect to existing sidewalks on both ends of the project and will incorporate and connect to the new sidewalks to be constructed by The Learning Experience Child Development Center at 8829 New Falls Road.

Falls Township Board of Supervisors Vice-Chairman, Jeffry Dence brought up the idea to Beach that rather than spending the money to construct a new project, the money could be used to do ‘patchwork’ throughout the township where sidewalks randomly stop and start.

Falls Township resident Guido Mariani felt strongly that constructing a new sidewalk on New Falls Road was a big mistake for the township. “It’s not a safety issue now anymore than it was in 2011,” he spoke passionately through the podium microphone. “New Falls Road was constructed as a motorized road, and none of those businesses, unless none that I’ve noticed are patronized by pedestrians, that is why they all have parking lots,” Mariani said.

The construction of this sidewalk could be the answer to many prayers made by local families whose loved ones have been killed while walking along New Falls Road, including Sidewalks Are For Everyone crusader, Sharon Rearick.  Rearick lost her son almost two years ago while he walked along New Falls Road in Bristol Township, an area without sidewalks. Statistics show that in the last five years, there have been 18 accidents involving pedestrians on the busy strip, 5 of which resulted in fatalities.

Find out more about the Sidewalks Are For Everyone cause

The application which is due April 3 will cost the township approximately $1,958 just in grant application fees. If the grant is awarded, the township can expect such approval by September, where the township will then have to go through the PennDOT process, an estimated two month waiting time.

This federal funding program is a consolidation of what was formerly the Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School programs. Eligible projects include bicycle and pedestrian facilities; bicycle and pedestrian education (grades K-8); conversions of abandoned railway corridors to trails; storm water management; construction of turnouts, overlooks and viewing areas; outdoor advertisement management; historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities; vegetation management; archaeological activities; and wildlife morality mitigation.

In a more immediate resolution to calm traffic measures in Falls Township, the board agreed to advertise an ordinance amending Chapter 203 to adopt Article VIII, a “Neighborhood Traffic Advisory Committee’. This committee will be advisory only, making all their recommendations to the board of supervisors. The committee will consist of Falls Township resident volunteers which represent five year staggered terms.

The board will decide whether to adopt this committee at the first meeting of April.