Hatboro Working to Make School Routes Safer

By next school year, Hatboro students walking to and from school could have safer routes as officials look to cash in on $1.8 million in federal grants.

Dubbed the Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to School program, the funding, which has been earmarked for Hatboro since 2005, is to be used to provide sidewalks, curbing and decorative crosswalks on York Road between Horsham Road and Summit Avenue, as well as other streets that feed into a school area, officials said.

In all, 44 curb ramps are to be constructed at the borough’s non-signalized intersections, borough engineer James Dougherty said during a recent presentation to the Hatboro Borough Council.

The funds require a borough match to cover engineering, permitting and other pre-construction costs, which to date, have tallied $240,000, according to Dougherty. Another estimated $80,000 in local funds is needed to cover the rest of the project, he said.

Dougherty said he would need to meet with about 20 property owners to discuss easements prior to construction beginning.

“If everything goes as planned,” Dougherty said the project could be built by late spring or early summer 2013.

Solicitor Christen Pionzio stressed that Hatboro must get moving on the project.

“The funding has been there since you got the grant in 2005, but at any time it could go away,” she told the council. “This is really a gift and we don’t want to lose it.” 

Pionzio called the addition of sidewalk and curbing a “homerun” for homeowners.

The council took no action, but Council President John Zygmont directed Dougherty to proceed in arranging meetings with property owners. 

“We’re all in agreement,” Zygmont said. “Let’s get going.”