Columbia AVE safety improvements

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded a Formula Grant of $122,036 to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on June 10, 2025, under the Highway Planning and Construction program (CFDA 20.205) to implement safety improvements along State Route 0462 (Columbia Avenue) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The project spans from Malibou Drive to West End Boulevard across Manor, East Hempfield, and Lancaster Townships and the City of Lancaster. This systemic safety deployment addresses a corridor ranked eighth on the county's urban segment prioritization list through targeted countermeasures designed to reduce crash rates and enhance driver safety awareness at signalized intersections.

The project deliverables include installation of retroreflective signal backplates at multiple intersections, replacement of outdated signage to achieve Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) compliance, and deployment of advance signal signing, destination signing, and symbolic lane use control signs. These countermeasures are intended to improve driver recognition of upcoming signals, reduce driver hesitation and confusion through uniform signing updates, and alert drivers to approaching signalized intersections. The improvements are expected to reduce both rear-end and angle collisions along the SR 0462 corridor.

Project description

SR 0462 (columbia avenue) from malibou drive to west end boulevard manor, east hempfield and lancaster townships and city of lancaster safety improvements this is a systemic deployment of retroreflective signal backplates and spot signing improvements at several intersections along the SR 0462 (columbia avenue) corridor. This segment is ranked 8 on the county urban segment prioritization. Potential improvements include retroreflective sheeting to signal backplates, signage replacements for mutcd compliance, advance signal signing, destination signing, and symbolic lane use control signs. The countermeasures are aimed at enhancing driver recognition of upcoming signals to reduce crash rates, updating outdated signage to provide uniform signing and decrease driver hesitancy or confusion, and installing additional signing to alert drivers to upcoming signalized intersections. Proposed countermeasures will improve intersection safety and reduce both rear-end and angle collisions along the corridor.