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Transportation and Mobility Implementation Committee

Transportation activities in Bethlehem account for about 20% of the city’s total community-wide GHG emissions. This is primarily the result of over 450 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) over a single year. The purpose of this section’s strategies is to promote the use of low emission or zero-emission vehicles by residents, businesses, and government, to increase public transportation use, improve walkability, increase bicycling, and generally provide safe and alternative transportation modes to fossil fuel vehicles.

The Transportation and Mobility Implementation Committee meets with the ideas and goals from this section in mind.

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Identify Year 1 & 2 Goals

Identify Year 1 & 2 Goals

Phase 2: Implement Year 1 & 2 Goals

Implement Year 1 & 2 Goals

Phase 3: Identify Year 3 Goals

Identify Year 3 Goals

Phase 4: Implement Year 3 Goals

Implement Year 3 Goals

Phase 5: Identify Year 4 Goals

Identify Year 4 Goals

Phase 6: Implement Year 4 Goals

Implement Year 4 Goals

Phase 7: Identify Year 5 Goals

Identify Year 5 Goals

Identify Year 3 Goals

November 14, 2023 5:00 AM - January 1, 2024 5:00 AM

Year 3 Goals Include:

Expanded installation of additional bike racks in public spaces
Coordinate with the EAC to research best practices and implementation of policy revisions and ordinances to provide necessary infrastructure and support for EV charging stations in public areas.
Continue work with the city Health Bureau to assess walkability in various neighborhoods and develop priorities for improvement areas.

6 ideas

Megan Lysowski3 years ago The Minsi Trail Bridge has access points to the D&L on the North side and the South Bethlehem Greenway on the South side. Both of these are popular destinations for cyclists and make riding and commuting a pleasant experience. Currently, the sidewalk measuring 5'6" at its widest cannot accommodate cyclists and pedestrians and the road is inhospitable to cyclists. I propose narrowing the driving lanes in order to widen the sidewalk and turn it into a barrier protected shared use path between 8-10ft wide. Users in the area who would benefit are Moravian Village of Bethlehem residents, a community for older folks; Laros Lofts residents, an apartment complex with 100 units; Lanta's blue line bus stops; Sands Casino patrons and employees; bicycle commuters; and other residents, both housed and unhoused, within walking/ biking distance of the bridge. Bike boxes and signage would be appropriate at the ends of the bridge to alert drivers to cyclists joining to roadway. The southern end of the bridge is currently designed well to encourage cyclists to flow to the greenway. The northern end could be designed to encourage cyclists to use E Market St and considerations should be made to improve the bike accessibility of Stefko Blvd and E Broad St for the future.Sidewalk measuring 5'6" at its widest. Wide vehicle travel lanes as seen from the north side. Experience of pedestrian and cyclist entering from north side.Updated 11/17 with pictures and more detail

Megan Lysowski3 years ago I propose creating a network of bike boulevards (low vehicle traffic and speed streets) that connect to everyday destinations: grocery stores, K-12 schools, universities, and the transit center.Bethlehem has wonderfully connected streets making it easy to walk and bike to where your everyday needs are, but these routes and destinations are often car-dominated making the journey there difficult. The largest concern that prevents people from riding a bike is fear of car traffic.We can utilize existing roads where vehicle speeds are already lower like residential streets for bike boulevards. Proper signage, decreased speed limits and "BIKE BLVD" markings can indicate the route and alert cars to cyclist activity. The South Bethlehem Greenway has excellent examples of signage leading to different destinations and their distances. We can focus on upgrading intersections that are currently dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.It is also important to recognize that the majority of the places we do our shopping are car-oriented and unfriendly to pedestrians and cyclists, for example Stefko Blvd Shopping Center and Lehigh Shopping Center. Even our small town shops are located on along our car main arterial routes: Linden St, Broad St, and E 3rd St. A network of safe bike boulevards would help make getting to everyday necessities safer and make riding a bike more accessible to all.We can look to cities of similar populations and resources as a role model for how they created a bike-friendly place:San Luis Obispo, CAWhite Plains, NYThanks!

Megan Lysowski3 years ago E Broad St has received funding for the proposals listed in the Activate Broad Street Plan (linked below). These improvements include updated pedestrian crossing traffic signals, enhanced bus stops, high visibility crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, and curb bump-outs (also called curb extension, for ease of reading this proposal will use the term “curb bump-out”).A curb bump-out is an extension of the sidewalk at the intersection. It reduces the amount of road space a pedestrian has to cross and promotes visibility to drivers. Curb bump-outs are planned for Broad & Linden, Broad & Maple, and Broad & Elm. Here’s a sample of a curb bump-out intersection design from the Activate Broad St Plan:I propose we change the design to floating curb bump-outs at the three planned intersections. In addition to the benefits listed of a traditional curb bump-out, a floating curb bump-out enhances visibility and reduces the road crossing distance for cyclists. This design change would allow for the future of a parking protected bike lane. Using a diagram from NACTO's "Don't Give Up at the Intersection" (linked below), I created an illustration to show the difference:Here are some pictures of what a floating curb bump-out looks like in different scenarios (both from NACTO):This change will allow for a parking protected bike lane to be installed in the future. Some benefits of a parking protected bike lane on E Broad St: Reduce travel lane width from Stefko Blvd to Linden St for vehicles which prevents excess speed (see John Hopkins Study on Lane Narrowing for more info & Walk/ Roll LV Broad St recommendations) Safer access via walk and bike to LANTAs EBS blue stop on Stefko Blvd and the Minsi Trail Bridge Protected bike facilities encourage bicycle ridership and the presence of bicycles make vehicles slow down I think it is important to use this opportunity to plan for the future and make all of Broad St a place safe for walking and biking. Since the report was made in 2019, there has been the addition of an apartment building with a 116 units and LANTAs EBS blue line service has begun. Let's make these changes to reflect the recent past and plan for the future. Let's build these three floating curb bump-outs now using the resources provided, so we can build a bike lane later. Note: This plan would narrow the crossing distance between bump-outs to 24 ft. A pedestrian refuge island may not be practical.Thanks!Activate Broad St Plan: https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/CityOfBethlehem/media/DCED-Media-Library/PlanningZoning/CommunityPlans/Broad-Street-Active-Transportation-Plan.pdf see pages 21-24 for existing conditions (note conditions reflect 2019) of Center St to Stefko Blvd see pages 54 & 55 for improvements suggested from Linden St to Stefko Blvd see Appendix A for bikeway intersection sample designs (GIF created uses this image) see Appendix B for implementation metrics and project description list John Hopkins Study on Lane Narrowing: https://narrowlanes.americanhealth.jhu.eduNACTO "Don't Give Up at the Intersection": https://nacto.org/publication/dont-give-up-at-the-intersection/minor-street-crossings/NACTO One-Way Protected Cycle Track (another name for Parking Protected Bike Lane): https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/cycle-tracks/one-way-protected-cycle-tracks/#:~:text=Description,the%20motor%20vehicle%20travel%20lane.Walk Roll LV Plan - https://lvpc.org/pdf/2020/WalkRoll/WalkRoll%20Reduced.pdfsee pages 114-115 for Broad Street Plan

Megan Lysowski3 years ago Sidewalk repairs and replacement are the responsibility of the property owner here in Bethlehem. Currently, the city does not enforce this ordinance (Article 909 linked below). Our current mayor and previous mayor did not want to put the cost burden of sidewalk repairs and replacement on the homeowner. Understandably so, the cost of concrete sidewalk repairs can cost anywhere between $3 and $20 per sq foot of new sidewalk (cost estimates come from Forbes article linked below).Many homes in Bethlehem are on 20 ft wide lots (think twin row homes in the Northside). Assuming the sidewalk is ADA compliant at a minimum of 5 ft wide, a property owner is responsible for 100 sq ft of sidewalk. If the property owner needs to replace all 100 sq ft of sidewalk then the cost estimates are between $300 and $2000.A large way to reduce costs and get your sidewalk repairs closer to the $300 range is to do it yourself. If the resources are made available, I think property owners can DIY!I propose we create a non-profit organization to provide free or low-cost sidewalk repairs/ replacement resources for property owners to make the repairs/ replacements themselves.This non-profit would cover city fees, project materials, tools, and public liability insurance to allow property owners to DIY sidewalk repairs/ replacement. A team could include a contractor to ensure city specifications are met, a lawyer to ensure the non-profit's public liability insurance covers property owners, and an administrator to complete permits and coordinate with DPW for timely inspections.Note: An important part of this idea hinges on the legality of a non-profit providing public liability insurance coverage for individuals or volunteers. I do not know how the organization would need to be setup for this to work. If you work in insurance or law, please chime in!Update (12/12/23): After learning more about this issue, public liability insurance cannot be issued to a property owner via a non-profit. The administrative hurdles are not the barrier it is the cost foremost. I’m not sure what the answer is here to fix our sidewalks, but something needs to change. Suggestions always appreciated.Thanks!References:ADA Compliance Sidewalks and PennDOT:https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/LTAP/TechSheets/TS_208_Sidewalks_and_ADA.pdfBethlehem Engineering Permit Application:www.bethlehem-pa.gov/CityOfBethlehem/media/PWMedia/Engineering/EngineeringPermitApplication2018.pdfBethlehem Ordinance Article 909 - Sidewalks, Curbs, Gutters and Driveways:https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/CityOfBethlehem/media/Ordinance-PDFs/ARTICLE0909.pdf?ext=.pdf Forbes Concrete Sidewalk Repair Costshttps://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/driveway/concrete-sidewalk-repair-cost/

Megan Lysowski3 years ago Bethlehem's parking ordinance prohibits standing or parking a vehicle within 20 ft of a crosswalk at an intersection.In other words, it is illegal to park or idle your car right up to the crosswalk. There should be a 20 ft gap, which about one parking spot length.Blocking off this space in front of the crosswalk is called "daylighting." It makes pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles more visible to one another. Strong Towns has a recent article about it, if you want to learn more. The intersection of E North St and Maple St are excellent examples of daylighting. Another great example is the cover photo of this committee.On a walk around the Northside I found varying degrees of infrastructure indicating this law: Some intersections have a "no parking" sign, "no no no" painted on the ground, a curb bump out, or vertical barriers.More often than not, I see no infrastructure enforcing this law, and personally, I have not heard of any tickets being distributed for this violation. I propose we aim to daylight all our intersections. We can begin by prioritizing our high crash intersections (For example, Union Blvd & Center St, E Union Blvd & Maple St).If we can see each other, then we can stop for each other.Thanks!

Anthony Bronico3 years ago The West Bethlehem Rail Trail is a proposed mixed-use trail to be constructed on the right-of-way of an abandoned Norfolk-Southern rail spur that runs through eastern Allentown and western Bethlehem. It would connect the neighborhoods north of Union Boulevard and south of Airport Road in Allentown and the suburban areas of western Bethlehem to the Monocacy Way trail, and in turn the D&L trail. This connection would allow for a sorely needed east-west connection and easy access to downtown Bethlehem for residents on the western side of 378 and those who do not wish to cycle along major streets like Union Boulevard and Eaton Avenue.The West Bethlehem Rail Trail has been identified by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission in its Regional Plan, which means the project is largely pre-approved if funding is secured. This submission is broken into three sections: "Pain points" in the community that would be solved or mitigated by constructing the trail. Proposed access points and connections to the trail Amenities, housing, and destinations well-served by the trail Pain Points:(1) - If the proposed extension (the dashed line on the western end of the trail) is built, it would allow those in the nearby neighborhoods to access the nearby Valley Plaza strip mall (featuring ALDI, Ollie's, and many local businesses) via the parking lot of the AMC. Currently, to access these requires either riding on Catasauqua Road or riding/walking up the shoulder, which is extremely dangerous.(2) - The West Bethlehem Rail Trail would allow for safer and lower-stress travel that bypasses a number of potentially dangerous intersections for those traveling east-west, such as: the 3-way intersection of Eaton Avenue, Union Boulevard, and Pennsylvania Avenue; Eaton Avenue and 8th Avenue; and 8th Avenue and Union Boulevard.(3) - The West Bethlehem Rail Trail would also allow for an additional, low-risk crossing point over 378. Currently, the highway creates a no-man's land between parts of West Bethlehem, with only two points to cross: Eaton Avenue and Catasauqua Road. While both feature sidewalks (on one side only for Catasauqua), the new trail would provide a valuable third option, and one that would be very well-suited for commuting cyclists, recreation, and exercise. This would also have the added benefit of allowing several of the city's running events to be off-street more often.Access Points:(1) - Western terminus of the tracks, near where the American Parkway begins and connects to the eastern neighborhoods of Allentown north of Union. The dotted line represents a small connection that could be made to add convenient access to the businesses on the southern/eastern side of Airport Road, which are currently very difficult and dangerous to access by pedestrians or cyclists.(2) - The tracks cross over Pennsylvania Avenue. This boulevard is very bicycle friendly and would be a convenient point to access the nearby attractions like the Lehigh Shopping Center and Clearview Park.(3) - The tracks cross over Eaton Avenue, where an access point would be invaluable to the residents of the neighborhood. Eaton is already a major east-west path for bicycles, but it is relatively unsafe due to the high speeds and high risk of "dooring" from parked cars. An access point here would allow cyclists to continue on to Monocacy Way or 8th Avenue with a much more relaxing route.(4) - The tracks pass nearby the Woodmont Mews apartments, as well as the Lowe's and Price Rite grocery store. These would be two valuable destinations for those who wish to travel for via bicycle, providing access to a cost-conscious grocery option.(5) - The tracks cross under 8th Avenue. While not being the most bicycle-friendly street in the area, is nonetheless traveled by many cyclists every day. The proposed Martin Tower redevelopment could also be connected to the West Bethlehem Rail Trail, possibly as an alternative to a dedicated 8th Avenue access point, so long as guaranteed public access is provided.(6) - At the eastern terminus of the tracks, a connection to the existing Monocacy Way trail would allow those in west Bethlehem as well as eastern Allentown to have direct, nearly-car-free access to downtown Bethlehem and the D&L trail.Attractions & Amenities:(1) - The Lehigh Shopping Center, featuring the Giant grocery store, PetSmart, a post office, gym, and many other stores, as well as a bus stop on the new Enhanced Bus Service of LANTA.(2) - Clearview Elementary & Clearview Park(3) - The Burnside Plantation, a historic location and a site for many community events each year, as well as the community garden there(4) - If the proposed dashed extension is built, access to the Valley Plaza strip mall would be greatly improved(5) - The forthcoming Martin Tower redevelopment, which is planned as a bicycle-friendly community(6) - Downtown Bethlehem would be easy-accessible via Monocacy Way, which is itself due to be improved in 2024 via Phase II of the Monocacy Way Improvement Plan.(7) - The PriceRite grocery store and Lowe's, as well as the Woodmont Mews apartments

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