Jim Thorpe Parking Analysis and Complete Streets Evaluation

Nestled in the breathtaking Lehigh Gorge, the borough of Jim Thorpe, originally named Mauch Chunk, was a company town founded and built by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company in 1791. Today, Jim Thorpe is a year-round, four-season destination offering a plethora of tourism and visitor activities including hiking on the Delaware and Lehigh Trail, whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River, and passenger rail excursions on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Jim Thorpe also boasts a variety of restaurants and shops in old Victorian buildings and mansions. The two-block section of Broadway from U.S. Route 209 to the Mauch Chunk Opera House has been designated by the American Planning Association as one of the Great Places in America in the Great Streets category.

As a result of the booming tourism, Jim Thorpe has been experiencing a growing problem of accommodating adequate parking in the downtown area for residents, visitors, private retail shops and county government activity. In addition, the downtown has visitors using a variety of modes including vehicles, bicycles, and walking, as well as passenger train traffic.

In 2018, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Metropolitan Planning Organization (NEPA MPO) secured funding on behalf of Jim Thorpe to initiate the Jim Thorpe Parking Analysis and Complete Streets Evaluation. Completed in June 2020, the plan identifies short and mid-range recommendations to minimize conflicts between modes, maximize parking facilities, and accommodate efficient movement of pedestrians, vehicles and bicyclists, safely and efficiently. Some of the recommendations include realigned crosswalks, ADA curb ramps, and new sidewalks. Jim Thorpe is currently applying for grant funding to implement the recommendations in the plan. To read the Jim Thorpe Parking Analysis and Complete Streets Evaluation, click here. To learn more about Jim Thorpe, visit the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency website.