Taggart Associates - Case Studies
Project: Five Points Feasibility Study, City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (updated as of January 11, 2010)
The Challenge:
The “five points area” was identified as a gateway point to the City’s south side and targeted by the administration for economic redevelopment. Lack of on-street parking and pedestrian safety and the issue of traffic congestion needed to be resolved for the area to be turned around. To successfully resolve these problems that had existed for more than 20 years, Taggart Associates was hired to provide a new perspective and find creative solutions.
Taggart Approach:
- Document the needs
- Conduct extensive public outreach and property-owner events to measure public perceptions, collect information, and receive feedback on various design issues
- Create an environment to enable the users, residents, and business owners to learn from one another with the support of a professional consensus builder
- Create several solutions to meet the client’s needs. Provide opportunities for public review and input and make presentation to City Council
- Identify funding sources for the project for the city to obtain $2,000,000 to design and build needed improvements
Results:
The public, City Council, and Mayor supported the original concept for a new traffic pattern that meets all of the community’s needs. The concept and preliminary design are being advanced to final design.