Dear Friends,

Have you ever participated in a ribbon tying ceremony? That’s correct, a ribbon tying ceremony. I’ve attended my share of ribbon cutting events where a host of dignitaries wielding a giant scissors (which usually don’t work very well) unveil a new building or celebrate the grand opening of something or other with a snip of the scissors. I never really gave a lot of thought to this but if a ribbon cutting signifies the opening of something, what would a ribbon tying be about?

The Greater Pottstown region, like any other, has its challenges. Much of the industrial base of the local economy has disappeared and a significant segment of the population has moved from the town center to outlying suburban communities. Fortunately the region also has significant assets including elected and civic leaders with vision and a can-do attitude.

The Borough of Pottstown and North Coventry Township are linked by the Hanover Street Bridge. It spans the Schuylkill River just steps away from the Pottstown business district, Riverfront Park and the Schuylkill River Heritage Trail. The view of the river from the bridge is lovely but the bridge itself is a utilitarian affair, obviously built primarily to move traffic swiftly through the township and borough.

Andy Paravis, Chair of the North Coventry Board of Supervisors and Steven Toroney, President of Pottstown Borough Council recognized that an enhanced gateway would benefit both communities. They wanted a bridge worthy of the setting that would provide better access for pedestrians and cyclists and they wanted to provide a direct route to the trail from the bridge. Fortunately they had the right idea at the right time. PennDOT had recently launched a pilot grant program, the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative or PCTI. This new program was specifically designed to encourage communities to link land use and transportation funding with an emphasis on reusing existing infrastructure.

The purpose of the PCTI is to provide funding for investment studies and transportation projects located in activity and town centers throughout Pennsylvania. The focus of the program is to encourage increased residential development, mixed-uses and connectivity in activity and town centers with municipal leaders, developers and transportation planners working together to advance good projects. PCTI was a perfect fit for the bridge enhancement project. Pottstown and North Coventry Township applied for PCTI funding and received $1.7 million to begin work on the bridge. The 10,000 Friends connection was our role in developing and advocating for PCTI.

Just like a ribbon cutting ceremony there were many important people at the event, all of whom talked about the symbolic significance of the ribbon tying event. State Senator John Rafferty, State Representative Tim Hennessey, Chester County Commissioner Cathy Cozzone, Pottstown Mayor Sharon V. Thomas, Vice President of Borough Council Mark Gibson, Borough Manager Jason Bobst, Township Manager Kevin Hennessey, Superintendent of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Edie Shean-Hammond, Terri Lampe, of the Pottstown School District, Marilyn Wood, Director of Outreach for 10,000 Friends and of course Councilman Toroney and Supervisor Paravis.

It’s worth noting that this bridge improvement will do more than just span a river. The project is all about making connections. It will of course physically connect the municipalities. It will also connect citizens in the township and borough to shopping, services and recreational opportunities. It will help link walkers and cyclists to the river and the trail. And it’s possible it will strengthen the connections between the municipal leaders who were willing to cross political and geographical borders to make their communities better places to live. The ribbon-tying ceremony, while chiefly a symbolic act, holds great promise for Pottstown and North Coventry Township.

Sincerely,

Judy Schwank
President and CEO
10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania 

Please feel free to contact me in the Harrisburg at the central office of 10,000 Friends. My email is jschwank@10000friends.org, or call me at 717-234-6070.