In a time prior to the turn of the 20th century Nether Providence Township applied for a $344,000 federal grant to install sidewalks in the vicinity of the Wallingford Train Station and were pleased to hear at the end of 1999, that their application had been stamped “approved.”
If you have been near the train station you are aware that a dozen years later there are no sidewalks, and the township is still waiting for the project to commence.
The good news is that the start of construction is about to begin. Bright orange cones and barrels marking out portions of the routes serve as tangible proof the work is finally about to begin.
If things go according to plan, the schedule calls for the completion of the project sometime next spring. The project will include the construction of 3,700 linear feet of sidewalk along the west side of Turner Road, the south sides of Rogers Lane and Possum Hollow Road, the latter adjacent to the train station.
These sidewalks will help fill in some pedestrian gaps by connecting the Leiper-Smedley Trail, which runs alongside a part of the Blue Route, with existing walkways and the train station.
The initial grant amount was $344,000, additional costs have added $64,000 to the funding, bringing the total to $408,000. Costs not covered by federal and state dollars will be handled by the township. Township officials have been concerned about pedestrian safety in the area of the train station, especially during the morning and evening commuting hours.
Meanwhile, another sidewalk project in the township is also on the horizon. Nether Providence Township was able to secure a grant under the federal “Safe Routes to School” program for the installation of a new walkway along busy Wallingford Avenue.
A grant of $304,500 was awarded for that undertaking, with the township responsible for any costs in excess of that amount. It will be on the north side of the busy cross street and provide a safer path for students bound by foot for Wallingford Elementary School on Providence Road. Officials hope this project will be completed in a much shorter time frame.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086