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Friday - May 17, 2013

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Wednesday - May 15, 2013

KITTANNING — About two-dozen residents attended the third and final public meeting of the borough's Transportation Study held on Thursday at the First Church of God Fellowship Hall along Woodward Avenue.

A short animated power-point presentation showing various proposals for traffic flow changes, new left turn lanes, back-in angle parking and pedestrian access, was presented by Scott Thompson-Graves and Chad Reese, engineers for Whitman, Requardt and Associates, LLP, a Butler County-based engineering firm.

Last year, Local Preferred Alternatives, compiled from surveys from within the borough, outlined plans that would primarily affect Market and South Water streets.

Proposed improvements

Proposed improvements for Market Street would include back-in angle parking on sections on the north side of the street and parallel parking on the south side, two-way traffic on North Jefferson Street and new left- turn lanes onto McKean and Jefferson streets.

Plans for several optional painted or landscaped medians also were included.

Suggested plans for South Water Street include new left-turn lanes for south bound traffic at Jacobs, Mulberry and Walnut streets, parallel parking on the west side of the street in two areas, the first between Market and Jacobs and between Mulberry and Walnut.

Borough council member Lisa McCanna said the proposed parking areas will give easier access to Riverfront Park and encourage more people to use the park.

Proposals for both streets include pedestrian and handicapped crossing improvements. Reese said such improvements call for new sidewalks, curb cuts for better handicapped access, “Walk, Don't Walk” flashing beacons with push button controls and meeting Americans with Disability Act standards. Updated traffic control signals also are part of the proposed plans.

Additional proposals in the list of Locally-Preferred Alternatives call for intersection improvement for South Grant Avenue at Jacob Street and Kit-Han-Ne Village and the widening of Johnston Avenue between Union Avenue and Smith Street.

Whitman, Requardt and Associates will conclude studies by the end of March and turn their findings and proposals over to Armstrong County Planning and Development. Planning and Development will then coordinate with PennDOT and borough officials and consider funding issues.

Council member Joie Pryde said that $1-million is available from money left over from The Cottages (former IUP campus) and can be made available for the project. She said that another $1-million would likely be needed.

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