‘Crucial missing link.’ New multi-use path from Penn State to College Township in the works
A multi-use path that would connect the north side of East College Avenue to an existing path on Penn State’s University Park campus could become a reality.
The College Township Council voted Oct. 21 to apply for a grant, as well as commit township funds, for the creation of the East College Avenue Shared Use Path. The path would connect Puddintown Road in College Township to an existing path near Hastings Road on campus in the State College Borough.
“This is very consistent with what we as council have been saying all along. We need more pedestrian facilities, we need more bike facilities and all those kinds of things,” council member Paul Takac said during the Oct. 7 council meeting.
Though the estimated cost given by Keller Engineering — $2.77 million — was higher than the council wanted to hear, they unanimously supported moving forward with the application and committed funds to it.
The township will apply for a PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant. The grant requires at least a 30% local match; the township applied for a $1.94 million grant, and will provide $832,000. If the grant were to be awarded, it would be received by the township on a reimbursement basis.
“The Centre Region has been proactive in the planning and development (of) its bicycle and pedestrian network. The East College Avenue Shared Use Path alignment was identified as a crucial missing link in College Township’s Sidewalk Master Plan, Centre Region Bike Plan and Penn State’s Bicycle Master Plan. This new path will further enhance the larger network and provide the public with a new transportation option,” Eric Bernier, council chair, wrote in the township’s letter to PennDOT.
The township’s local match could be accommodated through its bonding capacity, similar to how it’s funding the local match for the Pike Street project, as well as through other “interested parties,” including a local developer that has already committed $75,000, Mike Bloom, management analyst, said during an October meeting.
The township expects it to take about a year for PennDOT to review the applications and put agreements in place. A project like this will likely go across multiple budget years, Bloom said. If awarded the grant, the township would have three years to expend the grant dollars, Township Manager Adam Brumbaugh said.
It’s a highly competitive process, Bloom said, but he thinks their application is compelling.
Previously, when the council was reviewing the Aspen Heights student housing project, they had discussed the lack of a path to campus for bikes and pedestrians. Two routes were identified, the Red Route, which would have gone through the Thompson Woods Preserve, and Puddintown Road to Hastings. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources opposed the Red Route, so it was no longer an option.
Centre County Commissioners approved sending a letter of support for the project during their Tuesday meeting, with Commissioner Mark Higgins pointing to the safety aspect of the proposal.
“I think it’s especially appropriate right now. ... just on Sunday we had another serious injury of a cyclist on North Atherton,” he said. “...I know there’s a lot of excitement for the ability to go from the current bike path along the bypass to just safely pop into campus. It’s right on my commuting route; I see a lot of cyclists but also a lot of pedestrians walking along the shoulder of College Avenue. And people go 50-55 miles an hour on that road and you’ve got pedestrians walking feet away from them. It’s pretty dangerous.”
