SHAMOKIN, Pa. — Calvin Reeder likes living in Shamokin but says sometimes it can be hard getting from point A to point B.
"A lot of the sidewalks are in real bad shape," Reeder said.
Reeder uses a mobility scooter to get around. Some of the sidewalks and curbs on Independence Street make that tricky.
"I have very little problems, but I know there are people who have major problems, ones who are in regular wheelchairs that don't have mobility scooters," Reeder said.
According to officials in Shamokin, that will soon change. Shamokin is receiving more than $2.5 million in federal funding for improvements on Independence Street, the main street in the city.
"The number-one priority would be to make it ADA-compliant. Right now, a lot of our sidewalks are not," said Betsy Kramer, Shamokin's revitalization coordinator.
Kramer says the goal is to make downtown Shamokin more pedestrian-friendly.
"We want to make sure that there's greenery and benches and trash receptacles. There's some of those things now, but also to make it a cohesive look," Kramer said.
People we spoke with say they're happy about any improvements to downtown Shamokin.
"That will be great. What you have here is a mostly depressed area, and you have a lot of old people here," Tim Hubler said.
"It would be a big improvement, I think. Like you said, you can just look, and we do need it," Donna Snyder said.
"If they get these sidewalks fixed, it will be so much easier on not just me, but everyone in this town," Reeder said.
Kramer says plans still need to be finalized by Shamokin City Council before work can begin.
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