ALLENTOWN – Traffic has been an ongoing source of concern in Allentown during the past year as residents have continued to deal with the daily reality of thousands of vehicles passing through town on their way to destinations north, south, east and west of the small historic borough.
Municipal officials have taken some legislative steps in an attempt to address the situation, but still await assistance at the county and state levels. The borough’s representatives have documented incidents in which large trucks have damaged property as they navigate Allentown’s narrow streets and tight intersections.
There are no traffic lights to halt the steady flow of vehicles and provide gaps to facilitate left turns at intersections including Church and Main streets, Main and High streets and Waker Avenue and Main Street.
Two municipal bodies were dealing with the issue: the Mayor’s Traffic Ad Hoc Committee and the Regional Traffic Subcommittee. The members of both panels were appointed at the Borough Council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 2.
During recent council meetings, members of the public and municipal officials noted that the two committees might have more of an impact if they were combined.
At the council’s Aug. 14 meeting, council members voted 6-0 to combine the Mayor’s Traffic Ad Hoc Committee and the Regional Traffic Subcommittee into a unified Traffic Ad Hoc Committee. The members of the new panel will serve only in an advisory capacity.
The council appointed Wil Borkowski, Patricia Brown, Richard Carter, Jamie Egan, Julie Reid, Elaine Saullo, Nancy Tindall and Kurt Wayton to the Traffic Ad Hoc Committee and named Mayor Greg Westfall as the governing body’s liaison to the panel.
In other action, the council authorized the creation of the Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park subcommittee. The new panel is a subcommittee of the Board of Recreation Commissioners.
The action was recommended by the Board of Recreation Commissioners and the goal of the advisory subcommittee is “to refine the scope of the Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park only.”
The council appointed Allison Arnone, Wil Borkowski, Terry Brown, Janice Buchalski, Eileen Kuzma, Jan Meerwarth and Suzanne Smith to the subcommittee. Westfall is the governing body’s liaison to the subcommittee.
Municipal officials are planning to create the park on an open space parcel Allentown purchased in 2017. The tract was known as the Wilbert property at the time of its purchase by the borough.
According to the website findagrave.com, Ashby, 102, died at his home in Allentown on April 26, 1946 and was the last remaining New Jersey Civil War veteran. Ashby is buried in the African Methodist Episcopal cemetery on Hamilton Avenue adjacent to the parcel at which the park bearing his name will be created.
Municipal officials have said there are other African-American soldiers who served in the Civil War from Allentown who are also buried in the AME cemetery.
Ashby served in the 22nd United States Colored Troops and in the 45th United States Colored Troops, according to the website. He was discharged from military service in November of 1865. Ashby returned to New Jersey, married and settled in Allentown, becoming the father of nine children.
After borough officials purchased the Wilbert property, Allentown’s Historic Preservation Review Commission and the Board of Recreation Commissioners each recommended that the tract be known as the Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park.
The borough’s Recreation, Parks and Public Events standing committee agreed with those recommendations “in keeping with the tradition of honoring those in our community who have served their country and to recognize the struggles of those in our community who have fought for civil rights,” according to a resolution.
Municipal officials are in the process of designing the park.
