Tyrone Borough Council reached a consensus earlier this week to have Lincoln Avenue remain a two-way street because of concerns over possible delays for emergency vehicles if the road had been switched to one-way traffic.
The borough’s engineering firm, CET Engineering Services of Huntingdon, conducted a traffic study after Tyrone resident Jay Young had suggested at the Oct. 4, 2004 meeting the borough consider making the street one-way. Young had made the suggestion due to concerns over high traffic volume and street width.
Consulting engineer Ray Myers informed the borough it would cost an estimated $1,000 to have the study completed. Council agreed to have it done and the area on Lincoln Avenue between 10th and 14th Street was taken into consideration for a change to a one-way street.
The study was conducted in November and council was presented with the results including a compilation of maps which showed sight distances for various intersections.
The study showed where intersections were for streets, alleys and private driveways. The location of stop signs was also noted. The study also noted most of the intersections did not meet PennDOT criteria for safe sight distances. The study noted the curb-to-curb width of the street at 26 feet. PennDOT’s criteria for parking is 10-feet wide (desirable) and eight-feet (minimum). The criteria for width of travel for each lane is 12-feet wide (desirable) and 10-feet wide (minimum).
Myers said the study showed that, “Given the fact there is parking on the south side of Lincoln, the remaining width for the travel lanes would be between 16 and 18-feet, depending on the selected parking width.” Myers said the remaining width was inadequate for two-way travel.
Myers went on to explain if the road were one-way, two parallel streets could be used to travel from north to south.
School Transportation officials were also consulted and it was determined school buses could be used on a one-way version of Lincoln Avenue.
It was CET’s belief that based on engineering concerns of the limited width of the street and conflicts with site distances at various intersections that one-way traffic on Lincoln Avenue between 10th and 14th Streets was warranted.
The engineering firm also had discussions with Fire Chiefs Ray Stringer and Robert Lynn. Both expressed different concerns about making the road one-way. Stringer’s concern was since emergency vehicles use Lincoln to travel from east to west in Tyrone, time might be lost responding to emergencies if the vehicles had to be diverted to Logan Avenue.
Chief Lynn noted if a train is on the tracks at 14th and Washington, a problem is posed for emergency personnel getting to and from their stations should Lincoln be made one-way.
In the end, council decided the concerns over the possible delays for emergency vehicles outweighed the other safety issues such as the amount of traffic, speeding, width of road and the intersection sight distances.
No vote was needed on the issue since council decided to leave Lincoln Avenue as a two-way street.
In other business on Monday, council agreed the borough should assist in replacing a boarding shelter that had been in place and was knocked down at the Amtrak stop located at Railroad Park.
Amtrak will provide the shelter and pay for the estimated $3,800 cost. The borough is being asked to install it by providing labor to fasten 12 bolts into an existing macadam pad.
Interim Borough Manager Sharon Dannaway noted there was a possibility the east and west train stop could be eliminated if no boarding shelter were in place.
