HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Mount Pleasant Corridor in Hempfield Township can be busy.
“There’s always been issues with traffic congestion, but there’s always that added issue with safety and mobility concerns for pedestrians,” said Aaron Siko, Hempfield Township Manager.
That’s why the township is looking to install sidewalks along Mount Pleasant Road, from the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg campus, to just beyond the new Weatherwood Park being built off of Route 30.
“We’d like to be able to connect those people in our community to this new amenity, to this civic site that exists,” Siko said.
Right now, the only bit of sidewalk is across the street from Pitt Greensburg’s campus. This new sidewalk Hempfield is looking to build will be on the campus side of the street.
In 2023, a student was hit by a car while crossing the road to campus, and the township says of the 58 crashes along this corridor between 2020 and 2024, nine either left someone injured or dead, involved a school bus, or had property damage.
“We want to continue to promote pedestrian safety throughout Hempfield Township,” Siko said.
The project is still in the early stages and will be done in four phases.
The first phase would build a sidewalk along the road from the park to Old Airport Road. The second would be from Old Airport Road to the campus entrance. Phase three would be from the park on Weatherwood Drive to Thornton Avenue, and the final phase would be from Mount Pleasant Road to Hempfield’s Eastwood neighborhood.
Hempfield applied for a $1.7 million state grant for the first phase.
Some neighbors think it’s a good idea, while others have concerns.
“Yes I do think it would be beneficial for anyone who wants to go down towards the campus down there,” said Beth Mizikar.
“I think it’s too busy to put in a sidewalk up and down,” said another neighbor who wished to remain anonymous. “I wouldn’t have my kids walking up and down the road.”
The township is optimistic that once they get the funding from the grant, they will be able to start work on the first phase of the sidewalk project as early as 2027.
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