Public
Officials Design Institute
November
15, 2002
Borough
of Greentree
Project Synopsis
Project:
PDOT is in preliminary design stage for the widening of S.R. 19 to a 4-lane roadway, plus left turning lane and 4 foot sidewalks. The current development pattern exists of setback buildings with parking lots in front facing the roadway.
Alternative Solution:
Create alternative routes “jug handles” for local turning traffic at specific congestion intersections, behind existing buildings. This will limit left and right turns from S.R. 19.
Access parking reservoirs in rear of buildings.
Get buildings closer to the road.
Acquire more right of way for a minimum 5’ sidewalks and a buffer with landscape treatment.
Tie road widening to the economic development plan. (See 7 for alternative.)
Incorporate right of way acquisition and design costs into the project costs.
Determine opportunities for nodal development/redevelopment, i.e. mixed-use, higher densities at signalized intersections utilizing TND (Traditional Neighborhood Design) and TOD (Transit Oriented Design) principles.
Project:
Currently has 4.5 miles of
undeveloped riverfront with a 50’ slope to river. No direct access because of
slope and railroad tracts. Develop vacant
Develop industrial park at turnpike interchange.
Alternative Solutions:
Link existing street network and pockets of residential to make separate but connected villages.
Keep greenway and wooded areas along river.
Make places, like parks, public spaces, gazebos, to link both residential and commercial and green spaces.
Expand existing street network along riverfront to act as a loop for pedestrians, cars, greenways.
Develop multi-municipal land use and transportation plan to encourage light industrial/office parks at Turnpike interchanges.
Project:
Develop a mixed-use project
along
Alternative Solutions:
Pull buildings closer to the street.
Switch parking to the rear.
Open views from the new office building.
Create open, public space along S.R. 22.
Place emphasis on building
uses and open space, not parking.
Determine need/feasibility of incorporating park and ride lots with internal parking lot/garage to allow for transit connections via PAAC to Monroeville and points west and on WT for connections to Greensburg. Also explore potential for municipal circulator transit service utilizing fixed route or flexible routing to serve park and ride lot.
Project:
Improve the uses and perception of both residents and students. Create traffic routes to discourage commercial and bypass traffic on main street. Link campus and student activities with main street.
Alternative Solutions:
Connect the university to the main street by encouraging additional university buildings in town.
Reduce non-user traffic on main street by creating a ring road adjacent to and connected to existing road network. This will allow for connections to the university and I 79. A land use transportation plan will need to be developed to prepare zoning overlays at major new intersections that call for light industrial/office development.
Reinvent the square either with public space or new municipal buildings
Install roundabouts or other traffic calming devices at the intersections and along the main streets.
Prepare, in conjunction with appropriate industry representatives, a freight and goods mobility study to address the need to relieve truck traffic that utilized the existing grid.
Develop 5. and 6. using existing resources from the university.