March
8, 2006
H.
Daniel Cessna, District Executive
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
District
11-0
Attn:
Jeffrey Clatty, P.E.
RE:
Dear
Mr. Cessna:
The
Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) Project is pleased to submit its
comments on Alternative 7 for the State Route 28 - Sections A09 & A10 - East
Ohio Street Improvement Project.
Per
the 2005 Regional Policy Guidance Document’s Fix-It-First Policy Context
Sensitive Designs and Solutions Paper (http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/Regional_Policy_Guidance/introduction_2005_Reg.htm),
TLC would recommend that PENNDOT coordinate with the Southwestern Pennsylvania
Commission (SPC) to utilize the subject SR 28 project
as a pilot for adoption of the PENNDOT Context Sensitive Solutions manual to
guide roadway planning and design. More specifically, TLC would recommend
that PENNDOT consult with the adjacent communities to provide concrete stamping
and other means to reflect the history of the surrounding communities and to
mitigate the negative visual impacts of the “Jersey Barrier” and roadway
retaining walls.
TLC
continues to be concerned that pedestrian and bicycle connections be maintained
or improved within or adjacent to the project area.
This would include the possibility
of continuing the North Side Trail past Washington’s Landing (Herr’s
Island), connecting pedestrian, bicycle, and wheel chair traffic
between Millvale and its riverfront park, and the
shared-use sidewalk being planned from the 40th
Street Bridge along East Ohio Street, at only five feet wide, is not wide enough
to accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians, and wheel chair users traveling in both
directions. Per the 2005 Regional Policy Guidance Document’s Healthy
Communities Policy Paper, the Commonwealth, SPC, Counties and local
governments are encouraged to plan and invest in a land use and transportation
network that connects and enhances suburban and urban communities with
accommodation for multi-modal transportation choice.
Therefore, Millvale and the City of
TLC
also continues to be concerned that public transportation users be accommodated
in the design of the project. It is
our understanding that Port Authority of Allegheny County has made a request to
incorporate transit stops along the roadway.
These coordination efforts are incorporated into the Public
Transportation Policy Paper of the 2005 Regional Policy Guidance Document.
Thank
you for your consideration of our concerns with the State Route 28 project.
Please me at 412/258-6652 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
David
R. Ginns
Transportation
Specialist
cc:
The Honorable Robert O’Connor, Mayor, City of
The
Honorable Dan Onorato, Chief Executive,
James
Hassinger, Executive Director,
Dennis
Veraldi, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Port Authority of
James D. Porter, President Millvale Borough Council
Thomas Baxter, Friends of the Riverfront
Scott
Bricker, Bike
Jack
Schmitt, Preservation
Cathy
McCollum,