When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, Aug. 3.
What happened: Council members and the public received an updated explanation of proposed renovations to Walnut Street. The public hearing, which lasted more than an hour, covered planned changes between Front and Third streets. Council then continued its regular meeting.
Background: Columbia received about $900,000 in 2020 in federal money distributed by the Lancaster County Metro Planning Organization. The borough will supply the rest of the $1.3 million cost now estimated when construction starts in 2025.
Why: The streetscape project would eliminate some safety concerns associated with the current two-way traffic pattern, borough engineer Derek Rinaldi said.
What's new: Renderings display a canopy of shady trees dotting a center median that spans five feet at its narrowest point and expands to 12 feet at its widest point; add in aesthetically pleasing streetlights, a generous two-way bike lane on one side of the barrier, and two lanes of one-way traffic heading toward the river on the other side; and shows room for pedestrians, updated sidewalks, and two rows of parking spaces.
Quotable: "We're looking more to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle traffic," Rinaldi said. In addition, the updated roadway would link the riverfront to Columbia's downtown area. Plans call for "an enticing-looking street," Rinaldi explained.
Questions: Members of the public, however, questioned the borough about switching to one-way traffic — how such traffic might affect emergency vehicle response times, whether residents and visitors would lose parking spaces on Walnut, and other matters.
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