Paving project is the 1st step in Verona's transportation improvements

Transportation is going to become smoother on Arch Street in Verona.

A paving project is set to take place sometime next year, said borough Manager Stefanie Woolford.

“The biggest change is paving and some revitalization,” Woolford said.

She said the “revitalization” aspects of the project have remained undecided since borough leadership is unsure how much the paving will cost. The borough will be using the more than $186,000 awarded from the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund.

Once paving is complete, the borough is hoping to paint pedestrian and bike lanes on the street in an effort to aid in the VOPP Trail project, according to Trish Hredzak, council vice president.

“We have a vision of Arch Street being a key part of Verona’s future,” Hredzak said.

Council has put an emphasis on transportation-based funding and reward programs. The latest being in 2024, when the Friends of the Waterfront donated new water trail signs to Verona, saving the borough more than $10,000.

“(The signs) direct people to the public dock and really improved our safety signage,” Hredzak said. “We’re very fortunate that things are coming together. Being a smaller community, it’s really nice being able to do these things for our community without it being a huge impact on our bottom line.”

This is the second time the borough was awarded multimodal funding since 2023. Hredzak said the borough previously used around $300,000 to upgrade sidewalks and connect community parks.

“(Council members) are really excited about this from an accessible community standpoint,” Hredzak said.