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Residents express concerns about widening Nicholson Street or making it one way.
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Strong public opposition prompted council Monday to hold off on deciding whether to make Nicholson Street a one-way route between Route 309 and Hazle Street.
A preliminary police study prompted by requests made last week by residents whose parked cars had been damaged at the 309 end of Nicholson showed more cars traveled west along the street than east, and both Luzerne County and school bus routes ran west toward Hazle.
The police study suggested the street could be widened by either removing the tree lawns or making the street one way.
Residents had concerns with both of those approaches, council was told.
Because Nicholson Street is hilly it would mean winter travel would be difficult for several residents if only one direction of travel was open.
The township did not have the money to widen the street, council said.
Some township residents pointed out that much of the problem on the street stemmed from Mountain Top traffic using Nicholson as a way to avoid the lights at the intersection of 309 and Blackman Street, and then other sets of lights along Blackman.
The bulk of the traffic is headed west during the morning rush hour, and east during the afternoons, and few obey the 15 mph limit on several parts of the street, council was told.
Police will step up enforcement and issue tickets along Nicholson while further reviews of the feasibility of introducing a one-way section on a smaller part of the street are considered.
In other business, council agreed to a plan put forward by PennDOT to look into widening Coal Street where it meets Route 309, as part of the larger Wilkes-Barre city widening of Coal Street.
The township will allow PennDOT to organize the details of the purchases needed for the road widening and allow PennDOT to organize an upgrade of the intersection, with new lights, crosswalks and curve ramps.
The city will also accept maintenance responsibility for the 270 feet of township road that would be involved in the project, council was told.
PennDOT will make all formal arrangements and agreements on the township’s behalf and present them for council approval when completed.