The Borough of Pottstown has taken another step in its initiative to increase accessibility to bike transportation. What was once four travel lanes on West High Street is now two travel lanes with a center turning lane, and a bike lane on each side. The bike lanes extend from Manatawny Street to the Borough line at Glasgow Street.
Extension of the bike lane system improves access and safety for cyclists in reaching destinations such as the Schuylkill River Trail, Pottsgrove Manor and Montgomery County Community College. The new bike lanes also connect the Bright Hope community and Barth Elementary school to the bike lane system. Previously, Barth Elementary was the only school in the district that was not connected to the bike lane system.
The bike lane project was identified in The Street Corridor Study prepared by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) which recommended reducing the number of traffic lanes on High Street, as well as adding additional sidewalks, bike lanes, and lighting. The bike lanes were added during the repaving of the West High Street, which was completed and funded by PennDOT, with the understanding the the Borough will be responsible for repainting the lines in the future. The image below is taken from the DVRPC study.
Bike lanes are beneficial to the community in many ways. They provide low-cost transportation options for those without cars, support a healthy life style, and biking benefits the environment by reducing emissions created by motor vehicles. So grab your bike and take these new a bike lanes for a spin! Your community will thank you.