State College lowers speed limit on section of Atherton Street
UPDATE: State College Borough Council on Monday unanimously passed an ordinance amendment to lower the speed limit on Atherton Street, from Mitchell Avenue to Prospect Avenue, to 25 mph. The change will go into effect June 1.
With ongoing construction, traffic and numerous stoplights, driving through State College borough on Atherton Street can already take some time. And it could take even longer.
Tonight, State College Borough Council will consider amending the vehicle and traffic ordinance to lower the speed limit to 25 mph — it's 35 mph now — on Atherton Street from Mitchell Avenue to Prospect Avenue. Should the measure pass, the change will go into effect June 1.
According to PennDOT press officer Marla Fannin, in early March, State College formally requested that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation perform a speed study along Atherton Street from Mitchell Avenue to Allen Street.
PennDOT's study found there is justification for reducing the speed limit to 25 mph from West Mitchell Avenue to West Prospect Avenue, but not from West Prospect to South Allen Street. It's about 1.3 miles of roadway.
The justification was based off of PennDOT's review of traffic operations, pedestrian activity, crash data and compliance with state and federal regulations, Fannin said in an email.
"The reason State College petitioned PennDOT to perform the speed limit reduction study was for pedestrian and motorist safety," borough communications specialist Douglas Shontz said in an email. "State College is always exploring ways to make improve its walkability and safety. That section of North Atherton Street sees a high number of pedestrian crossings going into the neighborhood and Penn State University campus. We believe the slower speeds will increase safety in that area, however, we are still working on education and other safety measures to improve public safety for everyone."
Borough Council meets at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the municipal building, 243 S. Allen St.
This story was originally published May 7, 2018 at 12:14 PM with the headline "State College lowers speed limit on section of Atherton Street."