SCRANTON, PA. – Shorter walking distances and more time for pedestrians to cross downtown streets. Clearer turning radiuses for drivers around Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. Improved and more uniform street lighting. Calmer traffic and more safety measures. More trees and fewer overhead wires.
The list of goals for a fundamentally safer and more navigable downtown Scranton sounds like a dream. But through Mayor Paige G. Cognetti’s leadership, the City is on the cusp of a generational transformation designed to keep both pedestrians and drivers safer, improve traffic flow, increase the ways residents and visitors can safely travel downtown, and provide a net gain of nearly 70 street parking spaces.
“Safety is the primary goal of our streetscape projects,” Mayor Cognetti said. “The work will also help us build a more inviting and vibrant downtown full of growing business and living opportunities.”
Changes planned for downtown Scranton are the latest in a series of safety- and traffic-related improvements. Over the last five years, the City has invested millions into ongoing street paving projects, street sign replacements, and freshly repainted crosswalks, all while increasing the size of the Department of Public Works’ traffic division and strengthening ordinances that require utility companies to safely restore our roads after their maintenance projects.
Background on Downtown Connectivity and Collaboration
Scranton’s effort to make the City more accessible has been years in the making. The City first unveiled the results of an analysis of downtown Scranton’s overall walkability in June 2023. Urban planner Jeff Speck and the consulting firm Nelson\Nygaard built off of an idea of former Mayor Wayne Evans, and the Downtown Scranton Connectivity Plan presented bold ideas for the future of the City’s central hub.
Through additional traffic studies and feedback from critical downtown stakeholders – including but not limited to the Lackawanna County commissioners, the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS), private real estate developers, Grow America and The Car Park, downtown business owners, and more – portions of the original study were modified to best serve the needs of those living, working, and traveling through downtown Scranton.
Among the many considerations and concerns is improved accessibility, including for those who may be visually impaired. Over the course of several meetings with City officials, the Lackawanna Blind Association has proactively advocated for the needs of their consumers. In a letter of support, Lackawanna Blind Association (LBA) Executive Director Mary Ann Iezzi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the streetscape projects, adding, “The Lackawanna Blind Association looks forward to continued collaboration and remains ready to assist in making Scranton a safer, more walkable city for everyone.”
The City of Scranton has submitted the single largest traffic study in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 4 in support of these plans. The volume includes nearly 4,000 pages of analysis and other expertise.
Walkability Plan Details
One of the most significant changes is the plan to convert one-way streets to two-way roads. Changes are planned for Biden Street from Adams Avenue to Franklin Avenue, on Linden Street from Penn Avenue to Jefferson Avenue, on Adams Avenue from Lackawanna Avenue to Vine Street, and on North Washington Avenue from Olive Street to Lackawanna Avenue. These new patterns will restore two-way traffic around Courthouse Square for the first time since the 1960s.
Another important change will be the replacement of traffic signals with all-way stops. These changes are planned along Biden Street at Wyoming and Penn Avenues, Linden Street from Penn to Adams Avenue, and Vine Street from Jefferson to North Washington Avenue. Two-way stop intersections will also be implemented at Biden Street and Franklin Avenue, Linden Street and Franklin Avenue, Vine Street and Penn Avenue, and Olive Street and Jefferson Avenue. The conversion to all-way stops “is a welcomed enhancement,” according to the LBA.
The number of lanes on certain streets will also be reduced. Studies have revealed that there is not enough traffic on some roads to require two lanes of traffic in a single direction. Those so-called “road diet” changes are planned on Wyoming Avenue from Lackawanna Avenue to Mulberry Street, on Lackawanna Avenue between Adams and Mifflin Avenues, and on Adams Avenue from Vine Street to Olive Street.
Streetscaping Doubling as Traffic Control
To further control the flow of traffic on new and existing downtown routes, streetscape projects will transform roadways and increase lighting to help ensure pedestrian and driver safety. Part of that work may begin soon, as Scranton City Council approved a contract with Multiscape on September 30 for $1.8 million for the first phase of the Lackawanna Avenue streetscape project. Phase 1 includes period lighting, new sidewalks, the relocation of a bus shelter, and more from Adams Avenue to Biden Street near the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel.
Additional Lackawanna Avenue paving projects are planned from Adams Avenue to Wyoming Avenue. Kriger Construction was awarded a contract in September 2025 for $171,836 to pave the north side of Lackawanna Avenue, and Loop Internet will be responsible for paving the south portion of the road following utility work.
A combination of streetscaping improvements on parts of Adams Avenue, Biden Street, Jefferson Avenue, Linden Street, North Washington Avenue, and Wyoming Avenue will specifically aid pedestrians as they cross streets. Extended sidewalk corners, commonly called curb bump-outs, reduce the width of streets at intersections. Pedestrians will also have an advanced signal to begin crossing before traffic lights turn green. Curb bump-outs also create more protected parking areas, and streetscaping changes are expected to create a total of 69 more street parking spaces downtown.
Finally, adding to the overall aesthetics of the downtown, City-owned utility poles will be removed and utility wires that currently hang overhead would be placed underground.
More Than a Walk Downtown
In addition to improvements in downtown Scranton, the City has planned streetscape projects at entry points to other major areas.
Neighborhood streetscape and traffic improvement projects include one already underway on Cedar Avenue. Streetscaping from the exit of the President Biden Expressway on Orchard Street to Alder Street is revitalizing a primary entry to South Scranton that has great potential as another retail corridor.
Improvement plans in West Scranton include the Main Avenue streetscape from the North Scranton Expressway to Gibbons Street. The City plans new sidewalks, lighting, and may install one of several new neighborhood gateway signs welcoming people to the highly residential area.
The downtown walkability study was paid for through part of the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The total estimate for past, present, and future pedestrian and street safety projects, including crosswalk repainting and street sign replacement, is $27.3 million, which will be completed with nearly $14 million in ARPA funds, in addition to federal, state, and local funding and matching City resources, where applicable.
Members of Mayor Cognetti’s administration will present walkability project plans during a City Council caucus at 5:45 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 14. Ordinances related to downtown parking changes, the conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets, and changing traffic signals to all-way or two-way stops at specific intersections are scheduled to be introduced by City Council at its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 14.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020. Her administration is focused on driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, ensuring public safety, fostering government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Last modified: October 15, 2025
