ZELIENOPLE - The borough's Traffic Feasibility Study Advisory Committee met Tuesday morning to brainstorm possible ways to improve the flow of downtown traffic.

Having previously discussed possible short-term solutions, including the addition of traffic lanes, turning lanes, updating roads and the addition of new interchanges and upgrades to roads, Tuesday's meeting focused on ways to reduce traffic or add traffic capacity over the next 10 to 20 years.

According to a state traffic study, the traffic on Route 19 and Route 288 are the main sources of the traffic woes. The majority of downtown traffic, the study indicated, either comes from Route 288 and heads south on Route 19, or comes north on Route 19 and heads towards Beaver Valley on Route 288.

Most of the ideas Tuesday focused on long-term solutions, including the construction of a bypass between Route 19 and Route 288, as well as other ways of diverting traffic.

Jim Struzzi, a state Department of Transportation spokesman, said the ideas will be explored by PennDOT through some preliminary engineering studies to see if the ideas are real possibilities.

The group also discussed making Main Street more pedestrian-friendly, to encourage people to walk from one end of it to the other, rather than driving.

"There's an enormity to this study that goes beyond the pavement," said Ken Rich, a facilitator from McCormick Taylor.

Through the Hometown Streets and Safe Routes to Schools program, which aims to improve streets and bring people into town centers, Rich said the borough could receive state grants for improvements that would ultimately decrease traffic.

"They're looking for a way to improve the community," Struzzi said.

The group of about 15 community members, ranging from residents to borough council members, was created about a year ago when PennDOT began its traffic study in the borough and surrounding communities by collecting traffic data.

Using traffic counts and video snapshots, the survey determined traffic volume in certain areas and helped to determine the origin and destination of vehicles traveling through the borough.

The committee was formed to get public input to aid the study team in developing short-, intermediate-, and long-term improvements to traffic patterns in Zelienople and Harmony.

Rich said the group will likely have a public meeting in the next few months to present the committee's ideas and to receive public input on it.