Board Approves Green Biker Plan, OKs Budget

For Cranberry commuters tired of driving through traffic, there may be a new way to get to the office – biking.

At Thursday's board meeting, township supervisors agreed to add bicycle and pedestrian paths to the township as part of the long-range Cranberry Plan adopted in 2009 to map out the township's future.

The plan identified transportation – including pedestrian and bike paths -- as a top priority for the township's future growth.

Since then, Cranberry's emerging population, continuing congestion -- and lack of connectivity -- has become a bigger problem than ever.

While the township is taking steps to address those issues, including plans to expand -- one of the township's busiest corridors -- by widening the road and adding turning lanes from Haldeman Drive down to Bucks Road, supervisors felt the next logical step was to give residents the ability to commute without having to drive.

Hence, the bike paths.

"It has developed into a sustainability, going greener type thing," said supervisor chairman John Skorupan. "We need to be able to get through the township without having to dodge lights and worry about cars hitting you on the road."

Township manager Jerry Andree said the paths would further connect the township.

"Sidewalks and pathways connect places and people. This updates and refines the plan and pushes it to the next level --total connectivity," he said.

He said the paths would be funded through a variety of sources, including from developers building in the community, grants, private funding and money from township coffers.

No Tax Increase

The board also officially adopted the budget for 2011 with no tax increase.  This is the eighth year the township has been able to hold the line on taxes.

The current millage rate is 10.65 mills. Of that, the library gets .75 mills while the township's volunteer fire company gets 1.87 mills. The remaining 8.03 mills go into the general fund. Each mill is worth about $349.900.

"Our expenses only went up by 2% and our revenue went up 2.2%, so current revenue paid for current expenses," Andree said. "We are very lucky."