Officially dealing with stroads

Lower Macungie Township, a rural area of Pennsylvania, recently adopted a corridor study that referenced the term "stroad" in the appendix. The document -- which is not yet available online -- contains a definition of "stroad" along with this graphic and a reference to our website.

Here is a video of the discussion starting at the point where "stroad" gets mentioned. If you stick with it you will hear how the township is intentionally identifying high returning investments -- specifically supporting a boulevard approach -- while struggling with the mandates/incentives from the state to build stroads. This is a really positive discussion.

Congratulations to Lower Macungie Township, and special thanks to Strong Towns member Ron Beitler, for working to change the transportation conversation in rural Pennsylvania. It's a little step, but an important one, and it should lead to better decisions in the future. According to Beitler:

The document is not perfect. Far from it.. but getting this language in - and stimulating the appropriate conversation was a big win. STROAD is now a word a we use to describe a problem in Lower Mac. 

I hope others in the area follow the lead. Before we can triage our STROAD problem we have to address that we have one. 

Over the next year we look for opportunities to make low cost incremental improvements. 

And as far as we are aware, this is the first time "stroad" has appeared in an official government document. Who will be next?