Friday, October 20, 2006

Hellertown becomes a more walkable community

After meeting with state Rep. Robert Freeman last Friday, PennDOT has agreed to lower the speed limit from 35 mph to 30 mph on the street's most dangerous area, from Cherry to Walnut streets making the area safer for pedestrians.

Hellertown police have also been giving out more citations to drivers who don't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Police Chief Robert Balum devised a tactic called ''blitzing,'' which he compares to drunken driving road checks, to catch violators. During a blitz, a PennDOT-certified volunteer road crew member walks three feet into a crosswalk, then police cite drivers who don't yield to the ''pedestrian.''

This is good news to young professionals who choose to locate primarily in a center of a region. Neighborhoods with higher density, mixed uses, interesting streets and walkable destinations can make a region more competitive for talented young workers.

For more on Hellertown click here.

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