Falls Township will move forward with a pedestrian safety project that will install crosswalk signals and push buttons along a busy roadway.
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The Falls Township Board of Supervisors on Monday evening approved a $59,990 pedestrian safety project two years after the township initially budgeted for the upgrades.
The project will install crosswalk signals and push buttons at the intersection of New Falls Road and Vermillion Drive in the Levittown section of the township.
Officials said the improvements address a safety concern for Pennsbury School District students who walk to school from the Thornridge to Vermillion Hills neighborhoods and must cross busy New Falls Road.
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The upgrades will include push-button activated crosswalk signals that flash when pedestrians want to cross, improved signage and road modifications. The project will also widen the area to create a dedicated left-turn lane for vehicles turning into Vermillion Hills by eliminating the current shoulder.
Supervisor Jeff Boraski, who championed the project for years, said he was excited for the project’s approval.
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“It’s two years in the making and I’m excited to finally see it come through,” Boraski said. “All those students are walkers. They have to walk to school.”
The township had budgeted $58,000 for the work in 2023, but delays pushed back the project.
Boraski voiced frustration with the lengthy approval process for the improvements on the PennDOT-owned and -maintained roadway.
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The supervisor stated most delays stemmed from PennDOT’s requirements despite the state providing no funding for the township-funded project. PennDOT mandated additional work, including signage updates and road repairs extending back to Hood Boulevard.
“PennDOT dumped a lot of work on us as a township, stuff that they could have helped with and easy stuff,” Boraski said. “They could have did some signage work for us and some work on the sides of the road.”
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The current intersection presents safety challenges for pedestrians.
When the township installed sidewalks along New Falls Road, the project included ramps but no crosswalk buttons, lights or other safety features.
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Supervisor Chairperson Jeff Dence noted Boraski’s effort.
“It’s been a long time coming, but you did put a lot of work on it,” Dence said to Boraski.
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For Boraski, who is not seeking re-election this year, the project’s approval marks the closing of a chapter.
“It’s kind of bittersweet for me to finalize the project in what’s going to be some of my last meetings as a supervisor,” he said.
Boraski noted that state lawmakers and PennDOT offered little assistance as he advocated for the project.
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A timeline for the project’s completion was not laid out during Monday’s meeting, but township officials will coordinate between the contractor, township public works and PennDOT now that approval is secured.
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