By Joe Pinchot
MERCER COUNTY — Shenango Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization has been awarded a $200,000 grant to study the U.S. Route 19 corridor from the Mercer-Coolspring Township border south to Interstate 80, Gov. Edward G. Rendell said last week.
Mercer officials approached the MPO, a transportation agency made up of local and state officials, and Mercer County Regional Planning Commission because of antiquated traffic signals and traffic congestion in town, particularly when motorists are diverted from Interstate 80, said planning commission Senior Planner Matthew R. Stewart.
A consultant will be hired to analyze traffic volumes, conditions and signals; predict how factors such as land-use and signal-timing changes would affect future traffic; and suggest how the borough can become more pedestrian-friendly, Stewart said.
“It’s basically going to look at the existing conditions and what can be done to make traffic flow better,” he said.
A key component to the study’s analysis and recommendations will be the historic character of the community, he said.
The study also should provide “a realistic funding plan so that improvements can actually occur rather than remain lofty ideas that are never implemented,” Stewart said.
The grant was awarded under the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative and Safe Routes to Schools program, which is federally funded.
Two other Mercer County applications were not funded. Hermitage was seeking $200,000 to build sidewalks during the project to widen Lamor Road between North Hermitage Road and Kenray Drive, and Sharon had asked for $400,000 to close Porter Way to link Pennsylvania State University’s Shenango Campus to downtown.
State officials said they received 400 applications for $600 million, and funded 80 of them for $76 million.
