JACKSON TWP — State representatives believe a $1.2 million grant to implement road safety measures along Route 19 will boost retail activity in the township's commercial areas.

The grant, announced Tuesday by Rep. Jim Marshall and Sen. Elder Vogel, funds the installation of a traffic light and turning lanes at the entrance to Northgate Plaza, on the east side of Route 19, as well as a pedestrian bridge over Scholar's Run, linking Jackson and Harmony.

“That infrastructure improvements will help to increase its accessibility for an even larger flow of people who want to come to the area,” said Matt Parido, Vogel's chief of staff.

Township Manager Chris Rearick said Jackson planned on making traffic improvements to that intersection, but the multi-faceted approach to access made the grant appealing.

“We thought it was a unique combination of plans and improvements that were sincerely multimodal in nature,” Rearick said. “Part of the excitement of it is that there were several initiatives that have come together at one time.”

Of course, as a safety grant, the work aims to reduce the threat of vehicular or pedestrian accidents.

“There have been some concerns about traffic safety and what enhancements could be done to alleviate some of the concerns in that area,” Marshall said. “After meeting with the engineers and PennDOT officials, the township applied for a grant to receive funding to put in a turning lane and traffic light.”

The safer flow of traffic would, Marshall said, also give a higher chance of success to retail in the plaza, as fewer people would be turned away by traffic frustrations.

“Some people might find it so difficult to get into that retail area that they may choose to shop somewhere else,” he added. “I also believe that, with turning lanes and traffic lights, you could spur additional growth in that area.”

The pathway from Harmony also will likely spur growth, Parido said, and the interplay of the two modes of transit will allow nearby neighborhoods to access retail areas of the township with ease.

“It takes into consideration neighborhoods and the park and the retail center, so it has facets on both ends when it considers how vehicular traffic moves in and out and also how people can access it on foot,” he added.

The pathway would connect nearby trail systems, Rearick said, such as the nearby Commodore Perry Regional Trail network, meeting another goal of the township. “The light helps to tie it all together,” he added.