 On January 26, 2022 members of Traffic 21 (Carnegie Mellon University) & Michael Baker International will present the final report for the Route 65 Study. The presentation will include a comprehensive summary of the report as well as a list of recommendations moving forward. All are welcome to attend and participate in the event which will be held at the Sewickley Public Library (500 Thorn Street, Sewickley, PA 15143) beginning at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be simulcast over Zoom for those unable to attend in-person.
Zoom Meeting Access The Strategic Design Guide incorporates focused case study work on the Route 65 Ohio River Boulevard corridor and a broader review and analysis to redefine regional highway corridors. The planning and design of corridors, on Route 65 and statewide, reflect a need for both standardization and stronger identity of place. The Route 65 Ohio River Boulevard corridor, focusing on the historic “Boulevard” portion of the roadway and its surroundings from Bellevue to Rochester, provides an ideal case study location, specifically looking at the Boroughs of Emsworth and Ambridge through collaborative public design workshops. The Guide provides preliminary recommendations to improve the Route 65 corridor for several key objectives, developed through analysis of existing conditions, community-engaged workshops, and technical and best practices review. The study’s key objectives include creating synergistic and locally based relationships between the communities and boroughs that the route serves; recognizing and responding to commonly held corridor-wide citizen concerns; creating a unifying, place-based aesthetic, and providing a strategic guide for reimagining the highway corridor as a shared community asset. The Corridor Design Toolbox identifies potential improvements applicable to Emsworth, Ambridge, and many similar municipalities along the busy corridor, from narrowing travel lanes to creating pocketed turns, enhanced gateways, and designation of pedestrian space, coordinated to support economic growth. Adding to these roadway design guidelines, the study developed strategies for inter-municipal governance, civic engagement, master plan initiatives, and recommendations for local TIP projects. Next Steps identified in this report will be able to lead to a powerful cumulative impact: from inter-municipal cooperation agreements to the master planning process, to TIP project recommendations. These will all contribute towards the clearly expressed community objective of a safer, greener, cleaner Ohio River Boulevard corridor, one with implications for the regional and statewide approach to highway corridors. |