On May 12, Tredyffrin Township received $1.3 million in Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside grants. According to a news release by state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, the township will allocate the funds to the Gateway Multimodal Connections Project. The project aims to construct 1,550 feet of sidewalk across Valley Forge Road and Swedesford Road, connecting Valley Forge Middle School, Gateway Shopping Center and the Chester Valley Trail. According to MyChesco, Shusterman said the goal behind the sidewalk addition is to increase the safety of pedestrians and the accessibility between residential areas, shopping centers and public infrastructure.
The news release states that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) allocated the funding to the municipality as part of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. According to MyChesco, the law supports projects involving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, trail development, school safety initiatives and transit access improvements.
“I am grateful to PennDOT for providing funding for this project and for (its) continued support of our growing community,” Shusterman wrote in her news release. “I am also thankful to Tredyffrin Township for continuing to prioritize the safety of our children and neighbors. This is a much-needed update that will connect our communities!”
Many students from VFMS actively visit the Gateway Shopping Center after school, and these sidewalks will provide a safer route for them. Currently, no sidewalk directly connects the two locations, causing some students to walk along the street.
Freshman Lucy Kwon attended Valley Forge Middle School and often walked to the Gateway Shopping Center after school. She feels that the construction of sidewalks will increase the safety of Valley Forge students and provide reassurance to parents.
“The kids would be more comfortable, and especially parents would also be more comfortable for their kids to spend their time on a really precious, nostalgic, middle school experience,” Kwon said. “Especially (for) younger kids. I feel like (the sidewalks) would be helpful for them.”
Tvisha Jani can be reached at [email protected].
Nolan Talley can be reached at [email protected].
Sonja Dziegielewska can be reached at [email protected].
