Safety issues for Allentown Center Square redesign concern Lehigh Valley planners

The $6.5 million project to transform Allentown’s Center Square received some suggestions from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission during Tuesday’s Comprehensive Committee meeting.

The Center Square project’s plans, which were unveiled in June 2023, would shift Seventh Street down to two lanes and add a bike lane on one side, and eliminate one of the two lanes of Hamilton that bisect around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the intersection. The extra space would create a plaza type space around the monument that could be used for public events. It is scheduled to be complete by July 2025.

However, there were some concerns about bicyclist and pedestrian safety from LVPC staff, which were brought up in a draft letter to the city.

“Overall, the LVPC strongly recommends the city evaluate the redesign of Center Square to ensure safety and walkability for pedestrians,” said LVPC Chief Community Planner Jillian Seitz. “Elements of the realigned roadway, such as rounded curves for turn lanes and streamlined travel lanes through the intersection, will cause traffic to flow faster than the existing roadway design around the monument island. While designing the roadway to accommodate all transportation modes is encouraged, pedestrian and bicyclist safety should be prioritized in design decisions, as these are the most vulnerable road users.”

A proposed bicycle lane on Seventh Street should be protected from vehicular traffic with a physical barrier and be at least 6 feet wide. It should also be on the right side of the street to adhere to PennDOT code. A 5-foot wide separated bike lane is also recommended for Hamilton between Sixth and 10th streets.

It also recommended that all crosswalks should be elevated to sidewalk level and also function as a speed table for motorists. A diagonal crosswalk between the plaza and PPL Center was also endorsed, otherwise barriers, such as planters, should be used to encourage pedestrians to cross at the corner

In other actions, the committee discussed a new softball field at Muhlenberg College and the college’s project to renovate the Bicentennial Park baseball stadium in South Allentown.

The projects will be taken up by the full LVPC at 7 p.m. Thursday. That meeting is also available via livestream.