Carbondale is moving forward with plans to reduce traffic and improve bike and pedestrian access on 8th Street, which intersects Main Street near the end of downtown. The town says people raised concerns about narrow sidewalks and limited access for bikes on a street with plenty of car traffic in residential areas.
This week, the Board of Trustees chose a design firm to draw up some changes. Director of Public Works Kevin Schorzman says that’ll make for safer access.
“Each mode of transportation,” Schorzman said, “whether it’s pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicles, basically has an equal right to use the corridor in a safe manner.”
Carbondale will be working on those plans, including running them by the public, between now and the end of June.
“For any project like this to be successful, it needs to be heavy on the public engagement," Schorzman said. "It’s not, ‘Okay, we came up with this plan, here you go, this is what we’re going to do.’”