York, Pennsylvania (pop. 43,718) seeks to raise $80,000 for a transportation audit to give the city focused direction in revitalizing the business district and improving mobility.

The York Dispatch in York, Pennsylvania, reports Downtown Inc (a joint venture of the York Business Improvement District Authority and Main Street York, a not for profit), is seeking funds for a transportation audit that aims to improve mobility throughout York.

City leaders are considered changing one-way streets to two-way streets, improving and adding bike lanes, having a better connection between York College and the city, and incorporating art on the rail trail and bike lanes.

Such issues is what "re:Streets" (www.restreets.org) is all about. re:Streets is a National Endowment of the Arts-funded multidisciplinary collaboration focused on the planning, design and construction of streets as a method for improving the built environment, including mobility and access; wayfinding; commerce; social gathering; events and programs; play and recreation; urban agriculture; green infrastructure; and
image and identity.

The York city fathers seek to make it easier, safer and and more comfortable to get from point A to point B, whether one is in a vehicle, taking the bus, on a bike, walking or in a wheelchair. On city councilman suggested following the example of Washington, D.C., where parking on some streets is being moved five feet from the curb to make way for bike lanes, i.e., the bike lanes are next to the curb, and parked cars are closer to traffic.

The York plan aims to improve economic development, and bring more people to the downtown. How to do that is the question. A transportation audit should help answer a few questions, such as should a one-way street be converted to a two-way street? Should streets be widened? Should there be fewer traffic lights? Which streets should have bike lanes? In the end it comes down to what can the city afford. To get those answers, Downtown Inc has a goal of raising $80,000 for the audit.