The Newtown Borough Council at its February work session will consider partnering with Newtown Township and the Newtown Creek Coalition to explore the feasibility of building a pedestrian bridge across the Newtown Creek.
At its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14 Mike Sellers, from the Newtown Creek Coalition, detailed the coalition’s vision for a footbridge that would span the creek via an existing right of way between Frost Lane in Newtown Borough and the Sycamore Center in Newtown Township.
As photographs flashed across the screen, Sellers said the span would create a safe, recreational and pedestrian connection across the Newtown Creek that would provide a missing link in the local and regional trail system and easy pedestrian access between residential neighborhoods in Newtown Borough and Newtown Township’s commercial core.
The coalition initially brought the concept plan to the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors this past fall. In November, the supervisors subsequently voted to start the ball rolling on the project, passing a resolution establishing a working group to explore the feasibility and available state grants to build the structure.
[Read “Summary of November 26, 2019, Newtown Township BOS Public Meeting’; https://www.johnmacknewtown.info/blog/?viewDetailed=201912141204 and “Newtown Supervisors Agree to Investigate Feasibility of Getting State Funding for Bridge Over Newtown Creek”; http://sco.lt/7ExuVM]
According to Sellers, between 60 and 65 percent of the project is located in Newtown Township with the balance in the borough.
“It is for this reason Newtown Township was first approached about its interest in pursuing the pedestrian bridge,” Sellers told council. “Obviously if the township for any reason was not interested in moving forward there would be no point to talk to the borough about it.”
After hearing the presentation, the councilors expressed general support for the idea, but said they’d like to hear what borough residents have to say before adopting a resolution. They have scheduled a vote on the resolution for its February 5 work session.
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