On Monday, U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with Representative Susan Wild of the Lehigh Valley, announced that Bethlehem will receive $9.9 million in federal funding to increase traffic safety.
According to a press release, the funding comes from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and seeks to improve the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers on West Broad Street, one of the city’s busiest areas.
Senator Fetterman explained that America is facing a “street safety crisis,” with thousands of people losing their lives as a result of unsafe intersections and lack of traffic control.
The three members of Congress elaborated that streets in every part of Pennsylvania should be safe for everyone using them, whether walking, biking, or driving. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided funding throughout the country for improvements in road safety, and now Bethlehem has joined that list.
Additions to West Broad Street will include intersection improvements, protected bike lanes, and better public transportation infrastructure.
There are seven schools near the Broad Street corridor. The goal of the changes to the road are intended to increase safety for the students and families who use the pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and bike lanes to reach their schools every day.
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said the improvements will be “transformative.” He thanked Senator Casey and Representative Wild for passing the infrastructure bill that created this funding. He says that with these improvements, one of the busiest roadways in the Lehigh Valley is being transformed from “a street built for cars into a street built for people.”
