HARRISBURG, July 1, 2016 – State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) today announced $600,000 in state grant funding to redesign and revitalize part of Broadway Avenue in Beechview.
“This project will make that business corridor safer, more attractive and more accessible for pedestrian and bicycle travel,” Fontana said. “I’m pleased to have played a role in obtaining this state support and will continue to seek state dollars to supplement good local projects.”
The funds will be used to redesign nearly a mile of the roadway from Fallowfield Station to Wenzell Avenue. While the Port Authority of Allegheny County replaces the light rail tracks and concrete, the city is enhancing safety features to better accommodate pedestrian and bicycle travel. Fontana said the new design will likely include Transit stop improvements, bike lanes, and improved pedestrian crossings.
The Allegheny County lawmaker said the current antiquated roadway configuration encourages speeding, endangers both bikers and pedestrians and has very limited access for disabled people. The influx of state dollars will assist the ongoing efforts of the Port Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) who are partnered in spearheading the revitalization of the Beechview neighborhood.
Fontana said additional state Department of Community and Economic Development dollars will go to toward renovating the six transit stops and the streetscape improvements. This includes: new covered shelters for transit stops, speed tables (that connect pedestrians with transit stops), pedestrian signage, bump-outs at intersections, bicycle parking infrastructure, and constructing dedicated bicycle lanes.
The Multimodal Transportation Fund program dollars monies were approved today by the state Commonwealth Financing Authority. The total project cost is $1.016 million.
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