Greensburg City Council last week approved a blueprint to help the city improve infrastructure and safety for walking and cycling.
The city’s Active Transportation Plan, drafted by Gibson-Thomas Engineering, is supported by a $20,000 WalkWorks grant Greensburg received from the state Department of Health at the end of last year.
The city held open houses in March and July where residents pitched ideas to guide the plan. Others gave feedback in an online survey and marked key locations for infrastructure improvements on an interactive city map.
Alec Italiano, the city’s planning and development director, said improving safety for walkers and cyclists is the plan’s main goal.
“These plans lead to action — and they directly lead to money to fund the projects,” Italiano said. “It’s just part of the overall process of getting these things done in our communities.”
A couple dozen projects were identified in the plan at council’s Sept. 5 meeting, including five priority projects:
• Adding crosswalks to North Main and North Maple streets on either end of Tunnel Avenue.
• Adding lighting and flexible posts between sidewalks and vehicle traffic in tunnels on Arch and College avenues.
• Creating separation of the shoulder on College Avenue from traffic north to Greensburg’s boundary with Hempfield.
• Creating separation of the shoulder on North Main Street from traffic between Clopper Street to the city’s border with Hempfield where residents walk to businesses in the area.
Other proposed projects include adding flashing lights at the mid-block crossing outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Main Street, improving parks, creating a bike route through the city, and pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Routes 119 and 819.
Among those enthused about the city approving the plan is Ashley Reefer, who has owned Flat Tire Co., whose bike shop on East Pittsburgh Street is about a 60-second pedal from the Five Star Trail.
“Active transportation is good for people’s health. I’m an avid commuter, and it’s an effective way to get your minimal 30 minutes of exercise a day,” said Reefer, a Greensburg resident.
Not only is it good for a person’s health, but it benefits the environment, Reefer said.
“It’s ‘Go Green.’ It cuts down on vehicle emissions,” Reefer said.
Chris Hays of Youngwood, who bikes along the Five Star Trail to his job at Flat Tire, said that any plan that promotes active transportation and less reliance on cars is great.
Those who might hesitate riding a bike up and down the hills in the Greensburg area, can opt for an e-bike, Hays said.
Because some projects may require approvals from PennDOT and Norfolk Southern Corp., which operates the railroad line running through the city, the improvements may take a few years to come to fruition, Italiano said.
But in the short term, the city could obtain an Automated Red Light Enforcement grant for the flashing light signage by the courthouse, he said.
City council and the planning commission gave positive feedback on the plan, Italiano said.
“Ultimately,” he said, “I think it’s going to lead to some improvements in Greensburg.”
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.