BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 It\u2019s only a matter of time before pedestrians are hit by oncoming traffic as is the frequent case of parked cars along Pennsylvania Avenue, residents told City Council last week.<\/p>\n
The Rev. Bruce Stevenson, who lives along the 1200 Block, told council Wednesday he’d like to see a white line painted on the roadway, similar to intersecting Eaton Avenue to the south.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I have had three cars hit and totaled,\u201d Stevenson said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone from a no-car-payment family to a two-car-payment family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Avenue is about a mile and a half long, running from West Broad Street past Lehigh Shopping Center and residential neighborhoods before ending at Catasauqua Road.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love where I live, and I want to keep us safe.”<\/p>\n
Bethlehem resident Maritza Figueroa<\/p>\n
With a bit of the road split by a median, drivers take to the street like it\u2019s a two-lane road and it\u2019s not, resident Maritza Figueroa said.<\/p>\n
She said her son\u2019s car recently was parked in front of their home when it was hit and totaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love where I live, and I want to keep us safe,\u201d Figueroa said. \u201cI\u2019m just asking you to please help us out, to please at least back us up so maybe the city can help us at least get that line there so that we can keep everybody safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neighbors Stevenson and Figueroa said it’s their second time each coming to council to voice their concerns about the roadway.<\/p>\n
Driver behavior, limited resources<\/p>\n
City Public Works Director Michael Alkhal said, \u201cTwo things that have kept us from doing the line: resources and, more importantly, at least the past evaluations, we weren’t convinced that a white line is going to solve the safety concerns that are being brought up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if we\u2019re not 100-percent convinced it may work, we will consider painting the line.”<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Public Works Director Michael Alkhal <\/p>\n
Alkhal said driver behavior is a key culprit in this case \u2014 he added speed enforcement may be of some help among limited options otherwise \u2014 but the work wouldn\u2019t necessarily be cost-prohibitive and his team would have another look.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if we\u2019re not 100-percent convinced it may work, we will consider painting the line,\u201d Alkhal said.<\/p>\n
Maybe additional police patrols in the area could help, said Councilwoman Rachel Leon, who was joined by a few other panel members in their concerns.<\/p>\n
Leon and Councilwoman Colleen Laird said they’d be happy to join city staff and residents in a walk of the area and broader safety discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would advocate to look into it, strongly,\u201d Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith said.<\/p>\n