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Willow Street in Williamsport, running from Market and Basin streets, has always been rather non-descript.
Running between Third and Fourth streets, though, places it in position to be a connector route for those in cars or on bikes in the historic Old City section and near Lycoming College.
The city was awarded $1 million to convert Willow Street from Market to Basin streets to a shared-street concept.
Recently, City Council approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Derek Slaughter and Melanie Shutt, city grants administrator, as designated signers for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Reimbursement Agreement between the city and the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for the street project.
In that way it will serve multiple modes of transportation such as motor vehicles and bicycles and be safer with lights for pedestrians, motorists and for those whose homes are located here.
This is an older project that is being moved on, Shutt told council. The project has been "re-scoped from the original project," she said.
It will now include resurfacing Willow Street, lighting and improvements to better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.
The new street design is critical as it becomes an alternative for those accessing downtown and not using Third or Fourth streets, or who will be able to use two-way Basin Street to connect to the Susquehanna River Walk.
Old City was laid out east of Market Street. The neighborhood was the initial area settled by Williamsport founder Michael Ross in the late 1700s.
It has been subjected to multi-million-dollar public-private reinvestment and streetscape improvement with business development in recent years.