Beginning Monday drivers in Scranton can expect flashing red traffic lights and stop signs at 13 intersections in the city’s downtown.
The change begins the first phase in a testing period for potential traffic signal removal at some downtown intersections, according to the city.
“We’ll be evaluating throughout that period if that works,” Mayor Paige Cognetti said last week.
The city is reminding drivers that they must treat those flashing red traffic signals as a stop sign.
Jeff Speck, a city planner and consultant, gave a lecture in 2018 at the University of Scranton. In 2019, with Wayne Evans as mayor, the city worked with Speck to come up with a Downtown Scranton Connectivity Plan. That plan spurred the current proposed changes to make downtown more walkable, slow down traffic and replace aging sidewalks and infrastructure.
The sidewalk project is almost complete.
Affected intersections
Map of the traffic changes in downtown Scranton.
The Oct. 19 change impacts the following 13 intersections:
Franklin Avenue at Biden StreetBiden Street and Penn AvenueBiden Street and Wyoming AvenueFranklin Avenue at Linden StreetLinden Street and Penn AvenueLinden Street and Wyoming AvenueLinden Street and North Washington AvenueLinden Street and Adams AvenueNorth Washington Avenue and Vine StreetVine Street and Adams AvenuePenn Avenue at Vine StreetVine Street and Jefferson AvenueOlive Street at Jefferson Avenue
Last year, city council was split on the vote to replace the traffic lights with stop signs and change some one way streets to two ways. But the proposal ultimately passed.
Changing lanes
Also beginning on Monday, some streets will taper down to one lane because of the stop signs.
North Washington Avenue, between Mulberry and Linden Street, will taper down to one lane about halfway down the street. Drivers in that one lane will be expected to pause at the stop sign at Linden. North Washington will then open back up to two lanes.Biden Street will taper down to one lane until Penn Avenue.Adams Avenue, between Biden and Linden streets, will taper down to one lane and will continue to be one lane until Mulberry Street.The road ahead
After 30 days of flashing red lights, the traffic lights will be bagged and the stop signs will remain in place for 60 days.
The city’s overall downtown plan also includes converting some one-way streets into two-way streets.
After the 30 days of flashing red traffic lights and stop signs, the city will convert portions of existing one-way streets to two-way traffic.
New two-way traffic patterns will initially be implemented on:
Biden Street, from Wyoming Avenue to Franklin AvenueLinden Street, from Penn Avenue to Jefferson AvenueAdams Avenue, from Linden Street to Mulberry StreetNorth Washington Avenue, from Olive Street to Mulberry Street
The two-way conversion on the remaining sections of Biden, Linden, Adams and North Washington will be implemented if traffic lights are replaced and stop signs installed at the intersections in early 2027.
For more details, visit www.scrantonpa.gov/traffic/.