Stack Says Boulevard Safety Improvement Project will Continue

PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. 2, 2009 — Work to improve the safety of motorists, pedestrians and the police officers who enforce traffic laws on Roosevelt Boulevard will continue as planned, thanks to secured federal funding, according to state Sen. Mike Stack.

“Safety is a major concern along the boulevard, and thanks to our police officers and better traffic signals, it’s improving,” Stack said. “The availability of federal funding to make additional improvements is good news for everyone who lives, shops and drives along Roosevelt Boulevard and its adjacent neighborhoods.”

In July, Stack requested that Gov. Ed Rendell use federal stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to fund Phase 2 of this ongoing project, which involves installing emergency pull-over lanes that the Philadelphia Police Department can use to enforce traffic along the heavily travelled Roosevelt Boulevard.

Although construction of this phase of the project does not fit in the ARRA timeframe, funding is available through a federal earmark specifically designated for the boulevard, according to a recent letter that Stack received from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler.

PennDOT has drafted a plan to construct 12 emergency pull-over lanes, 108 feet in length and 14 feet in width, along Roosevelt Boulevard as part of Phase 2 of this safety improvement project. It also includes the elimination of midblock pedestrian crossings. This portion of the project is still in the design phase, and construction bidding is not expected to begin until next summer, which is past the ARRA funding deadline.

Phase 1 of the project involved installing clear signage, red light cameras and pedestrian “countdown clock” signals.

For the past six years, Stack has helped secure $1.6 million in funding for the Philadelphia Police Department and PennDOT toward Roosevelt Boulevard Accident Reduction Initiative. Roosevelt Boulevard is a 12 mile multi-lane highway that runs directly through the 5th Senatorial District in Northeast Philadelphia.

“This Accident Reduction Initiative funding combined with the new emergency pull offs will give police officers the tools and support they need to enforce traffic laws on the boulevard,” Stack said. “Roosevelt Boulevard is notoriously dangerous, but taking these safety steps will improve the flow of traffic and, most importantly, protect the lives of motorists and pedestrians alike.”

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