Saint Albans Circle Traffic Calming

 What’s happening on St. Albans Circle? 

This project is a temporary traffic calming pilot to test safety improvements. This pilot is intended to make the circle safer for all and more pedestrian-friendly by slowing auto traffic and creating new pedestrian connections. A safer St. Albans Circle is a more welcoming place to live, visit, and shop.

Why did the Township begin this pilot project?

Community members and business owners frequently ask the Township to make St. Albans Circle safer for residents, employees, and shoppers. 

Who is working on this pilot project?

 Newtown Township is leading this pilot with help from Gather in the Circle, a group of community volunteers helping to reimagine St. Albans Circle, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s EXPO program. 

How long will this last?

The traffic calming pilot begins on Oct 25, 2021, and lasts through mid-November. At the end of the pilot, the flexible bollards will be removed to prepare for winter snow removal.

What are the specific changes being made? 

The pilot uses temporary materials and paint to calm traffic in St. Albans Circle. Before the pilot, the travel lane in the circle was excessively wide, encouraging drivers to speed around the circle and onto adjacent streets. During the pilot we have used paint and flexible bollards to “shrink” the circle, so drivers have to slow down as they travel around it. The entrances and exits to the circle have also been realigned to reduce speeding, and crosswalks added at Rhoads Avenue, Chapel Road, and the northeast approach of St. Albans Avenue. These crosswalks allow pedestrians to safely reach local businesses and nearby neighborhoods. 

Will businesses and homes still be accessible during the pilot?

 Yes! The redesigned circle maintains all existing driveway access points, and does not remove any legal on-street parking spaces. The entrances and exits to the circle have been designed to allow large vehicles like delivery trucks and SEPTA buses to continue using them. Before implementation, the Township worked with the Fire Company to test the circle for large vehicle access using one of their fire trucks.

 Why is this a temporary pilot?

A complete redesign of the circle is expensive and would take years to accomplish, but a temporary demonstration allows the township to test solutions for the future, while improving safety now. Once the pilot is complete, the Township will review safety data, traffic performance, and community feedback to determine the best way to make St. Albans Circle safer in the future. 

How will we know if this is working or not?

After the pilot demonstration period, the Township will evaluate its performance. The EXPO program is providing travel monitoring data to the Township. This means collecting traffic counts and other data on St. Albans Circle and the surrounding streets both before and during the pilot. The EXPO team will help analyze the data, which the Township will use to determine the next steps for St. Albans Circle, and Gather in the Circle is taking a community survey to gauge public feedback.

How can I stay engaged on this project? 

Take the project survey here (click this link). Your feedback will be used to evaluate the project once the pilot is complete. You can also contact Gather in the Circle at pam@gatherinthecircle.com or send us a message through Gather in the Circle’s Facebook page.