After being sidetracked by the pandemic, plans to build a pedestrian footbridge connecting Newtown Borough and Newtown Township over the Newtown Creek are back on track.
At the Dec. 7 board of supervisors meeting, Supervisor Phil Calabro reported that the proposal is back on the table and beginning to pick up steam again.
“I had a meeting with Mike Sellers representing the Newtown Creek Coalition and he wanted me to bring it to the board’s attention and have it discussed again,” said Calabro.
“The good news is most of the cost of the bridge and the construction of it will be covered under grants and the only cost to us would be an engineering study, which would be a 50/50 split between the borough and the township. We’d be talking about maybe a $10,000 cost.”
In November 2019, just four months before the pandemic, the supervisors approved a resolution supporting the concept and working with the borough and the creek coalition to explore the feasibility of the project.
The proposed new span has been included in Newtown Borough's updated comprehensive plan, which is scheduled for a final vote.
In addition, another new span is in the works, this one proposed as part of the Steeple View redevelopment project. That bridge would provide a pedestrian crossing between the borough and Carl Sedia Park in Newtown Township.
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At the December 6, 2022, Newtown Planning Commission I proposed that this bridge be included as a "wish list" item in an appendix to Newtown's version of the Comprehensive Plan. See my complete list... https://bit.ly/NTCompPlan_WishList
According to the Boro's Open Space and Connectivity Plan:
"Pedestrian access will be facilitated by sidewalk extensions along Frost Lane and North State Street, connecting residents in the north side of the Borough with destinations in Newtown Township."
"Newtown Borough has acquired an easement within a former paper street extension of Frost Lane to the west Borough boundary for a multi-use trail."
Details about the sidewalk: "A 1,250-foot sidewalk is proposed along the north side of Frost Lane between North Lincoln Avenue and Edgeboro Drive, connecting the existing Lincoln Avenue sidewalk and proposed Frost Lane trail. This will provide Newtown’s northern residents with pedestrian access to destinations throughout the Borough."
and
"Newtown Township can extend the route east of Lincoln Avenue for access to Goodnoe Elementary School and Roberts Ridge Park."
This last piece may be a problem - I am not sure there is enough easement to extend the trail between Lincoln Ave and Goodnoe.
What's YOUR Opinion?
There are currently TWO #NewtownPA Creek pedestrian bridges proposed - one at Frost Lane and Edgeboro Road in the Borough to North Sycamore Street in the Township and one at the other end of town connecting the proposed Steeple View development in the Borough to Carl Sedia Park in the Township.
The Newtown BOS already approved apply for a grant for the Frost Lane bridge (read more about that here). The Steeple View bridge is just a concept, but the developer has already asked in confidence for opinions from Newtown BOS members (read more about that here).
In general, how much are you in favor of/opposed to these proposed bridges?
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