Creating a Sense of Place in the Historic Village of Marshallton Through Traffic Calming and Streetscape Improvements
The Village of Marshallton is a 250 year-old village located in West Bradford Township along a three-quarter mile section of Strasburg Road/PA State Route 162. Marshallton is known for its historic buildings, fine restaurants and is a National Registered Historic District. Because Marshallton is located on a major collector roadway, the Village has experienced higher traffic volumes, increased travel speeds, pedestrian safety issues and deteriorating infrastructure. In 2011, West Bradford was awarded state funding to calm traffic while enhancing the Village's historic character and infrastructure through streetscape improvements.
Background
West Bradford Township received a grant of $2 million from PennDOT through its Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative Program to construct this project. The project included the following traffic calming and streetscape improvements, which were designed to maintain the Village's historic context:
- Uniform brick sidewalks
- New curbing with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps
- Mid-block crosswalks
- Bulb-outs
- Gateway medians
- Colored/textured crosswalks
- Retaining existing on-street parking
West Bradford Township and Village residents carefully planned this project over a long period, which began with a planning and visioning process in 2006 with the formation of the Marshallton Conservation Trust. Residents determined that traffic along Strasburg Road had to be calmed, and a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere throughought the Village was necessary.
One of the Township's first steps was to change the Village’s zoning to a Traditional Neighborhood Development District, which allows mixed residential and commercial development and promotes smart growth principles to help preserve the Village’s historic character. After the zoning change, Township representatives, residents, and transportation planners created Village design guidelines for Marshallton. The design guidelines, PennDOT's Traffic Calming Handbook, and PennDOT's Smart Transportation Guidebook and PennDOT's Sound Land Use Implementation Plan were used during the design and construction phases of this project. Construction on the project started in May 2011 and ended in April 2012.
Accomplishments
This project could not have been completed without the support of Village residents, or without constant communication between the Township, PennDOT and Village residents. The Marshallton project shows what can be done when local and state government agencies and residents collaborate towards achieving a common goal. The project has received significant positive feedback since it was completed in 2012 and will stand as an example of what can be accomplished by applying smart transportation elements and collaborative efforts.
The overall goal of this project was to create a sense of place in a 250 year old village while maintaining its historic character through streetscape improvements. Marshallton has succeeded in that and more. The improvements have not only created a street that accommodates all users, but has improved storm water management, established a "blue print" for future development and expanded new business opportunities in Marshallton. At the time, West Bradford Township Manager Tommy Ryan spoke to this by saying, "This project will assist in the preservation of the Village for generations to come." Village and Township residents and visitors can now enjoy the sense of place that has been restored in Marshallton.