South Duke Street Improvements

After surveying the community, the City of Lancaster is making considerable improvements to South Duke Street over the next year to address street safety concerns, infrastructure maintenance, and accessibility.

Traffic safety is a priority in this project. South Duke Street is part of the City’s “High Injury Network” of streets where the most severe or fatal traffic crashes occur.

Traffic Safety

• This project will add more pedestrian crossings and features like “curb extensions” and “high visibility crosswalks” to help calm and slow traffic, while also making pedestrians more noticeable.
• Decorative street lighting will be added along both sides of Duke Street for better nighttime visibility.

Bicycle & Pedestrian Features.

• Sidewalks along the western side of the street will be replaced.
• Along the eastern (King Elementary/Roberto Clemente Field) side of the street, a new 10-foot path will be added for bicyclists and pedestrians to use. Eventually, this will connect to planned bicycle paths along Chesapeake Street to the south and Church Street to the north. We want to create safe, connected pathways for students and residents to bike to school or get to the County Park without a car.
• All sidewalks and intersections will be upgraded to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This includes features like curb ramps and audible push buttons.

Parking

• Parking is a challenge throughout the City, especially in the southeast. The Duke Street project will add about 12 additional parking spaces along the length of the corridor by adding back-in, angled parking on the western side of the street.

Stormwater Management

• The project will include new underground systems to capture and store rainwater so it doesn’t overwhelm our sewers. This is a common type of green infrastructure, which works to soak up rain where it falls, preventing flooding and keeping our water clean.
• These green infrastructure systems will manage over 3 million gallons of stormwater each year, helping keep pollution out of the Conestoga River.
• The South Duke Street project combines green infrastructure with Lancaster’s first step toward separating some of our combined sewer pipes. Green infrastructure will capture and filter rainwater on the north side of the S. Duke St. project area, while new sewer pipes will begin to carry stormwater separately from sewage from Dauphin St to the southern end of the project.

Trees & Urban Greening

• Dead or dying trees will be removed, and new trees will be added that are well-suited for urban environments. Trees help to improve water quality, reduce air pollution, and provide shade and cooling. They can even help to reduce noise by absorbing or blocking sound.