The community involvement program began early in the project and will continue throughout the study. It includes a variety of ways through which the public can provide input to the project team.
Click here to enlarge

Out of the public's input, from specific suggestions to general concepts, came important project goals.

They are to develop a street system or network that will:

• Move vehicular traffic efficiently towards destinations at speeds safe and reasonable for the City environment, including exploring new street patterns and ways to calm traffic.
  Click here to enlarge
• Provide new access to vacant or underutilized land parcels.
• Offer the opportunity for the City to extend the downtown urban form to the I-83 ramps in the general vicinity of Paxton Street and enhance the City's southern gateway. For example, make a smoother transition from the highway to downtown.
• Be an integral part of the future Citywide transportation system - a system that includes links to transit (bus and rail) and transit centers, walkways, bikeways, streets, bridges, and parking facilities.

Specific concerns have ranged from improving access for safety vehicles to providing adequate parking, and ideas ranged from relocating the Amtrak rail yard to ramping a highway over the area.

Public involvement elements include:

• Steering Committee - a 16-member committee provides input and helps guide the process. It includes representatives from City and county government, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC)/Harrisburg Area Transportation Study (HATS), PennDOT District 8-0, Harristown Development Corporation (commercial property owner), Pinnacle Health Systems (major employer), Amtrak, Capital Area Transit (CAT), and Pennsylvania Place (major apartment complex representing residential owners).
• A Design Task Force to assist with creative concepts for the Gateway and a visioning process for the land use and economic development component, launched in 2006.
• Public Open Houses - At two (noon time and evening) open house (slide 3, upper right) sessions on November 13, 2001 and January 15, 2004, the project team members showed maps and photos, presented information and answered questions. Attendees completed surveys asking them to rank important issues. There will be open houses in 2007 highlighting the land use and economic development opportunities along with the transportation alternative.
• Planning Workshop - A September 12, 2002 workshop at the Harrisburg Hilton focused on the community's vision for the study area. About 30 people attended.
• Other activities: These include presentations and various briefings and information provided to the media.