Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Sharon Rearick‘s fight to bring sidewalks to New Falls Road in Levittown saw a victory Tuesday evening as the Middletown Board of Supervisors approved a letter of intent to support PennDOT’s plan to build the sidewalks.
The letter of intent from Middletown will inform PennDOT that the township supports the plan that would bring sidewalks to both sides of New Falls Road from Durham Road to Bristol-Oxford Valley Road. The sidewalks would fall on both the Bristol Township and Middletown sides of the busy road.
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When the supervisors cast their support for the project Tuesday, Rearick and her supporters let out an audible cheer. The project is a passion for Rearick and her husband, who lost their son John along the road in 2012. In the years since, Rearick has started a nonprofit, Sidewalks Are For Everyone, that aims to bring sidewalks along New Falls Road.
The sidewalks, estimated to cost $1.7 million, is in the very preliminary stages and still needs to be the engineered.
PennDOT is looking to Bristol Township and Middletown to sign maintenance agreements. Bristol Township Council President Craig Bowen, who attended the Middletown meeting, said the governing body will consider a letter of intent at one of their upcoming meetings.
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A Quincy Hollow resident asked Middletown officials about snow removal and liability. Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls said the snow removal for the sidewalks would likely be contracted out and the solicitor would look into the liability issue further.
“This is really great, overwhelming,” Rearick said after the meeting.
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Supervisor Bill Oettinger voiced his support for the project and commended Sidewalks Are For Everyone for their work to save lives.
Staff from Middletown and local state elected officials have met over the past two months to work on the project.
Last month, Falls Township approved adding a sidewalk to a portion of New Falls Road.
