A Public-Private Cooperative Group to evaluate, promote and support Delaware Avenue Improvements, including especially public-private, voluntary and cooperative efforts. The overarching goal is to maintain and improve this Main Street corridor for commercial, social and civic benefit. Improvements to include beautification, commercial success, traffic flow, safety, pedestrian convenience, and civic improvement.

The Delaware Avenue Improvement Group served as the Study Advisory Committee for the Delaware Avenue Complete Streets Feasibility Study, sponsored by the Town of Bethlehem to identify and analyze the feasibility of appropriate complete streets elements for Delaware Avenue between Elsmere Avenue and the Normanskill Bridge. The study included corridor specific traffic operations and crash analyses, development of feasible alternatives based on a complete streets framework, and strong stakeholder and community based outreach, education and input. The primary goal of the study is to create a plan for a more balanced transportation system along Delaware Avenue to enable safe and comfortable ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant access for users of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and motor vehicle drivers, otherwise known as Complete Streets. A major objective of the study was to examine the feasibility of a road diet.

During the development of the Study, there were five Study Advisory Committee meetings, two public meetings, a business owner meeting, and three presentations provided to the Town Board. The results of the technical analysis and public input show that a road diet is feasible, and the majority of people who provided input are willing to accept the additional 50 seconds of motor vehicle travel time (on average) from end to end in the corridor, in exchange for a calmed Delaware Avenue that is more user friendly to other modes (bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users).