by: Kerrick Shaw 

Greensburg City Council approved an Active Transportation Plan blueprint to help improve safety within the city.   

On September 9, the Active Transportation Plan was approved for development by City Council. The plan will provide a road map for funding and implementing projects to remove any physical barriers that prevent pedestrians from safely walking, biking or using any mobility aid to get from place to place.  

The city put out an interactive map, provided by the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, and surveys for citizens to participate in. Pins could be stuck on specific locations of the online map that the community believed needed improvement. 

“There were so many great suggestions from the public for this Active Transportation Plan,” Director of Planning and Development for the city of Greensburg Alec Italiano said. “Some specific suggestions we received concerned traversing through the two main railroad tunnels in town. We took that into consideration when prioritizing the final projects for this study.” 

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College Avenue Railroad Tunnel.

Photo by: Kerrick Shaw

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 WalkWorks funded the plan with a $20,000 grant, and it was prepared by Gibson-Thomas Engineering.  

WalkWorks is an initiative between the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center that provides funding to Active Transportation Plans to increase the opportunity for safe, accessible and active routes in communities.  

“The most important aspect of the plan was to gather information from the citizens and the City Administration on what projects were needed for the city,” Gibson-Thomas Project Manager Mark Szewcow said.  

Italiano and Szewcow worked together, along with an assisting staff, to establish a budget, schedule and the final product. Szewcow was responsible for all quality control, project budgets and deadlines. 

“I think people will be inclined to walk more; it’s going to be good for people in general,” senior Ryan Ashley said. “Some sidewalks throughout the city need upgrading, with the overgrowth and damage; some crosswalks need to be a lot safer, too.” 

Five priority projects were identified by the City Council with 34 total, all of which had their cost, complexity and timeframe determined as well.  

The priority projects include implementing safe crossings on Tunnel Avenue, enhancing the Arch Avenue tunnel for pedestrian safety, enhancing the College Avenue tunnel, cyclist safety improvements on College Avenue and pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements on Main Street.   

“It has the possibility of revitalizing downtown Greensburg,” social studies teacher Robert Lehman said. “We as a community have to embrace it.”