SCRANTON, PA. – The City of Scranton invites residents and interested parties to Lackawanna College, 501 Vine Street, on Wed., June 21, at 7 p.m. to learn the results of a year-long downtown connectivity plan conducted by city planner and urban designer Jeff Speck in partnership with holistic transportation planning company Nelson\Nygaard.
“We’re very excited to share the results of this in-depth analysis of our downtown,” Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said. “Jeff Speck and his team’s recommendations provide many options to make our streets safer for cars, pedestrians, and bikes, and I look forward to determining which changes we can implement to make Scranton a more walkable, sustainable city.”
Nearly one year ago, Speck and Nelson\Nygaard, both based in Boston, Mass., held a public presentation at Lackawanna College. Those were the first steps in assembling the plan to be discussed Wednesday.
Through a spending plan approved by City Council in May 2022, the City allocated $239,800 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the walkability study and action plan.
Executing many of the plan’s recommendations will take time, money, and approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for changes and improvements along state roads.
Speck’s previous work includes downtown master plans in Lowell, Mass., and Ada Township, Mich.; downtown street plans in Oklahoma City, Okla., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and downtown walkability studies in municipalities including Grand Rapids, Mich., Boise, Idaho, and Lancaster, Pa. He is the author of “Walkable City” (2012) and “Walkable City Rules” (2018).
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021: ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill. The City of Scranton has been awarded $68.7 million in ARPA funds to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. The mission of Scranton’s ARPA program is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents. More info on Scranton’s ARPA plan is available at scrantonpa.gov/arpa
Downtown Scranton Connectivity Plan Results – 06.14.23
Last modified: August 2, 2023
