Delaware County officials are considering upgrades to Chester Pike that would make the thoroughfare friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists, writes Gabriel Donahue for WHYY.

The proposed improvements, which include narrower car lanes, bike paths, and wider sidewalks, are part of a recommendation by Colliers Engineering to alleviate traffic woes.

Roughly five years ago, Sharon Hill, Glenolden, Norwood, Prospect Park, and Ridley Park community leaders joined forces to create the Chester Pike Corridor Improvement Partners, a nonprofit focused on revitalizing the area. This vision was turned into a master plan to make Chester Pike more environmentally and family friendly.

The agency was awarded a $125,000 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in 2022 to implement a road improvement study.

According to David Schwartz, project manager at Colliers, the proposed upgrades will cost between $800,000 and a few million dollars per intersection. Officials said that grants and borough contributions will be used to fund the projects. Each borough will decide on which projects they consider a priority.

“Each [intersection] has more than one challenge for a pedestrian or a cyclist to get across Chester Pike,” said Lyn Hedrick, an action team member for Bicycle Coalition-affiliate Bike Delco.

Read more about the proposed Chester Pike upgrades in WHYY.

Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in August 2024.