From staff reports
The City of Franklin’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is now available online.
The Power Point presentation may be found on the city’s website at www.franklinpa.gov.
On the website, the document may be found on both the public notices page under the city government tab and also on the community development page under the city departments tab.
It will also be available as a link on the bottom left corner of the homepage.
Franklin officials unveiled detailed plans last week for the creation of the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the city.
Officials said the plan prioritizes the needs of pedestrians first, followed by bicyclists, cars and then trucks.
“The aim of the plan is to improve connections and provide safe routes for all, and it recommends some changes, including infrastructure changes, to achieve that goal,” said Sheila Boughner, the city’s community development director.
One focus is providing routes linking downtown Franklin to the region’s trail system.
For bicyclists, the draft plan aims to get them over the Eighth Street Bridge from the trailhead and into town – on a route through Riverfront Park.
From there, they travel up Ninth Street to either Liberty, where an above-the-curb cycle track is proposed for Ninth to 12th, or to Buffalo Street, on a shared bike lane.
The shared bike lane continues up Buffalo to 14th, over 14th, and down Elk, making a loop through the city.
Safety improvements are proposed for 12th and Liberty (possibly even a roundabout) and a lane reduction is proposed for the 1200 block of Liberty (allowing for separate bike lanes on each side of the street).
Other routes in the plan include one to Third Ward and another from Eighth Street down to Third Street.
Attention is also given to various improvements to crossings, including signs and pavement markings, for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Mackin Engineering of Pittsburgh is conducting the master plan study, which is funded by a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the City’s Downtown Development Fund.
A steering committee, comprised of representatives of the City, PennDOT, the Franklin Area School District, the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Oil Region Alliance, the Northwest Commission, the Venango County Planning Commission, the Allegheny Valley Trails Association and others, is guiding the effort.
The city is seeking public input on the plan and will use that feedback to refine and finalize the plan.
Those with questions or comments can contact Boughner at sboughner@franklinpa.gov or (814) 437-7841.
A final presentation of the plan will be made in late March before the document is submitted to the DCNR.
