Downtown Scranton Streetscapes Project

The City of Scranton downtown streetscape project makes the promise of a safer, more walkable, and more connected city center a reality.

The idea to reimagine Downtown Scranton’s layout and overall accessibility began with a December 2018 guest lecture held at the University of Scranton that encouraged attendees to picture Scranton differently. The message of the lecture was championed by then-Scranton City Council member Wayne Evans, inspiring further action and inevitably resulting in the Scranton Downtown Connectivity Plan, which was first presented in a public meeting in June 2023.

Funding for streetscape projects was formally reallocated and approved by City Council in the City of Scranton’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) budget in October 2023, when revised ARPA rules allowed for projects to be categorized as “Surface Transportation” investments.

In addition to a second public meeting on the streetscape plan in April 2024, the City has conducted outreach over several years with dozens of downtown businesses, advocacy groups including but not limited to the Lackawanna Blind Association and the Center for Independent Living, the Lackawanna County commissioners, the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS), private real estate developers, and more. Outreach efforts gathered feedback to ensure changes would positively impact businesses, essential services, and accessibility for all.

In support of the fundamental changes planned for downtown Scranton, City officials submitted nearly 4,000 pages of analysis and other expert opinions to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). It is believed to be the single largest traffic study submitted in PennDOT District 4’s history.
Essential changes embedded in the streetscape plan include the change of several one-way streets to two-way streets, along with the replacement of traffic signals with all-way or two-way stop signs. Traffic signals will only be replaced at intersections where the volume of traffic observed over multiple studies does not meet the threshold to require a traffic light.

Additionally, converting traffic patterns and removing unnecessary signals are predicted to improve response times downtown for emergency responders including the Scranton Police and Scranton Fire Departments.

Community Support
• Downtown Deli letter of support – Oct. 7, 2025
• Lackawanna Blind Association letter of support – Oct. 1, 2025
• Ritz Theater letter of support – Oct. 7, 2025
• Scranton Tomorrow letter of support – Oct. 7, 2025
• University of Scranton letter of support – Oct. 16, 2025