Bristol Township officials authorized a letter of intent on Thursday evening, informing PennDOT that the township supports the plan that would bring sidewalks to both sides of New Falls Road from Durham to Bristol Oxford Valley roads. The support follows Middletown Township’s lead earlier this week.
The sidewalks, which are planned for both sides of the shared Bristol Township and Middletown Township border, will cost PennDOT $1.7 million. The plans are in preliminary stages however and still need planning and engineering executed by transportation officials.
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While PennDOT had approved the project, they needed letters of intent from both municipalities before beginning. The letters of intent state that each township will be responsible for maintenance and snow clearing of the sidewalks.
Sharon Rearick, who lost her son John along the road in 2012, had started the nonprofit, Sidewalks Are For Everyone (S.A.F.E.), shortly after his death, and had pledged on countless occasions over the last several years that she hoped sidewalks would soon be seen on the road where her son lost his life.
Roaring crowds proudly wearing neon S.A.F.E. t-shirts could be heard from the audience inside Bristol Township chambers following the approval.
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“There is not many times sitting up here you see [that] one person can make a difference,” said Council President Craig Bowen to Rearick. “It just seemed like a huge battle and you did it, you got sidewalks.”
Rearick was noticeably emotional during the township meeting.
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“When I started this, so many people told me I was crazy, I was that crazy sidewalk lady. I thought everything happened like it does on TV, ya know, within an hour, obviously it doesn’t,” she said laughing through her tears. “We’re looking at four years from when we started, August 21 was the first email I sent. I just have to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, all the supporters, thank you, because if we saved one person, it was worth every bit of it.”
Falls Township approved last February a $299,000 sidewalk project along the road. The project, which had final plans approved just last month, will add a five foot wide sidewalk on one side of New Falls Road from Hood Boulevard to the entrance for the section of Vermillion Hills.
