Community members and borough officials in Cambria County gathering Today to share input on a new transportation plan.
Southmont Borough held a community engagement event for their new active transportation plan at their borough building this evening
Officials say the goal of the plan is to make walking, running, biking, and other forms of active transportation safer and easier in the area.
“It’s important that the residents are able to walk to the elementary school, walk to stack house park, able to walk to the art center. So they knew there was a need to improve walking and biking in the community.
It is a great place to walk and bike already, but we just wanted to make improvements.”
They say the community engagement event was held to ask members of the public what can be improved in the Borough. They say theyre asking what areas are easy or difficult for community members to walk to in Southmont.
“It’s important to hear directly from people who walk and bike and scooter, mobility devices as well. So it’s important to hear what people are telling us.”
From there, Borough officials say they’ll take the feedback and plan to make improvements to the area like adding new sidewalks and crosswalks.
Officials say they’re also providing an online survey to collect public ideas for those who were unable to make it to the meeting.
They say that community input is a necessary part of the project because the plan will leave a lasting impact on Southmont.
“Our focus is really also looking at improving community health. The more people walk and bike and actively exercise, the healthier the community is.”
Officials say they hope to kick off the plan by this Fall.