News

** Winter Parking is in effect as of 4 PM on Wednesday, December 4th. **

WINTER PARKING REGULATIONS RELAXED

Good News! The enforcement of the winter parking regulations within Ebensburg Borough is being relaxed.

The current Ordinance, in place since 1994, requires alternate side parking on many streets between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and again between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. It also prohibits parking on many smaller streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Those winter parking restrictions are in effect between December 1^st and March 31^st.

In the past, the Ordinance was not enforced until the first snowfall each year. After the first snowfall, the Ordinance was enforced each and every day, regardless of weather conditions. These parking restrictions are necessary to allow the public works crew to properly and safely clear the streets of snow. Unfortunately, the regulations caused great inconvenience to the residents.

Today, there are many methods of communicating current information to the residents. Borough Council believes that we can enforce the regulations when necessary, and relax enforcement when possible.

Effective immediately, the winter parking regulations will only be enforced when deemed necessary by staff. A notice will be placed here on the website announcing when the regulations are “in effect” or are “not in effect.” The same notice will be posted on the borough’s Facebook page.

For those that may not have access to the Internet, a call to the borough office at 472-8780 is all that will be necessary to verify whether vehicles parked on the street need to be moved. During business hours, staff will be able to answer the question, or you may press #5 to be taken directly to a recording.

Winter parking restrictions will be placed in effect with every forecasted snowfall, and should be considered in effect with every unexpected snowfall. Depending on conditions, the restrictions will often remain in effect for several days following a snowfall. Crews often work for several days to push snow back from the curbs, to clear intersections, and to clear slush from the streets. Residents will be required to move vehicles until such time that the announcement on the website and Facebook is again changed. It will be everyone’s responsibility to verify the current enforcement status of the winter parking regulations. Remember…because it snowed two days ago and hasn’t snowed since; the winter parking regulations may still be in effect. Check the website!

The relaxed winter parking regulations will require the full cooperation of everyone. It is important that the public works crews are able to maintain clear streets during winter conditions. If the relaxation of enforcement causes problems in that regard, it will be necessary to return to daily enforcement. Please work with us so that we can maintain our streets in a safe manner, while minimizing the inconvenience to you and your neighbors of moving your vehicle twice each day.

Ebensburg’s 19th annual Dickens of a Christmas will be held Friday, December 6th through Sunday, December 8th. This event is a family-oriented Christmas celebration based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Many vendors and other participants are clad in period costume. Let us be your host as you enjoy this old-fashioned Christmas weekend.

Come enjoy vendors and crafters hawking Christmas wares at the indoor craft shows, wassailing in quaint neighborhoods, antique shopping, a Live Nativity & Lights Festival, a Christmas Parade, a Santa Pub Crawl, Christmas Tree Toss, Children’s Events, Breakfast with Santa, Sleigh and Carriage Rides, Christmas Musical Performances a Fat Bike Beer Fest and so much more!

This is truly a joyous way to bring in the holiday season, of which Mr. Dickens would surely approve!

The complete schedule of events can be found here: http://ebensburgpa.com/ebensburg-dickens-events-summary/.

SHOP SMALL in Ebensburg on Small Business Saturday®

Ebensburg – Each year, the Ebensburg Main Street Partnership promotes and celebrates Small Business Saturday in Ebensburg as a way to support Ebensburg’s local small business community.

On Saturday, November 30^th, residents are encouraged to take part in Small Business Saturday by shopping small and dining small at area small businesses.

Shoppers can enter Ebensburg’s Shop Small Contest for a chance to win one of six $25.00 gift cards to one of our small shops or restaurants. View contest details in the featured image above.

“We are a community of small businesses, and we want to do everything we can to help our small businesses succeed,” said Danea Koss, community development director. “We encourage everyone to support your local community by shopping small AND dining small in Ebensburg this holiday season. When you shop small, you’re not just supporting a small business, you’re boosting your local economy, supporting local jobs and you’re keeping local businesses in business!”

PEDESTRIANS

General Pedestrian Law:

Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code details the rights and duties of pedestrians.

Generally, people walking may cross the street at any point, but pedestrians and motorists must understand their responsibilities. Below are the basic laws to follow when crossing the street or driving.

• When a pedestrian crosses the street in a crosswalk, the driver must yield.
  • Drivers are not required to yield until you begin to step into the crosswalk.
  • Pedestrians should not walk or run unexpectedly into the path of a moving vehicle. Pedestrians should not assume drivers will see or yield. Look left, right, and left again before stepping out.
  • It is illegal for drivers to pass a vehicle that is stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, as the second driver may not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
• If a pedestrian crosses the street not at an intersection and there is no crosswalk, the pedestrian must yield to vehicles.
• When crossing the street at a signalized intersection, both pedestrians and motorists must obey the traffic-control devices.
  • These signs and signals help identify who must yield.
• When walking along a road with sidewalks and its use is practicable, it is unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and upon an adjacent roadway.

Safety Talking Points

 Tips for Pedestrians:

 Cross only at crosswalks. Don’t cross between parked cars.

• Look left, right then left again and keep looking.
• Wait for a gap in traffic, then step one foot off the curb or fully enter crosswalk and make eye contact with approaching drivers.
• Always obey traffic signs and signals especially pedestrian count down timers.
• See and be seen – drivers need to see you to avoid you. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or carry a flashlight at night.
• Watch for turning vehicles at intersections, even if you have the right-of-way and proceeding lawfully.
• Watch your children. Children can’t judge a vehicle’s speed and distance and need the help of an adult to be safe.
• On streets with multiple lanes in each direction, be aware of what drivers in both near lanes are doing. If one driver is allowing you to cross, the other might not see you.
• If no sidewalk is available, walk as far on the side of the road as you can, and always walk against traffic.
• Always be aware of your surroundings, and never get distracted.

Tips for Motorists:

 Slow down when approaching a crosswalk or intersection. Watch for pedestrians and be prepared to yield to them.

• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks – the law requires motorists to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks at signalized and non-signalized intersections.
• Travel at a prudent speed. Don’t try to beat the light.
• Watch for mid-block crosswalks. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in mid-block crosswalks, so yield to them.
• Expect the unexpected – look out for children who may dart out between cars or buses or cross mid-block without a crosswalk.
• Drivers on streets with multiple lanes in each direction should be aware that pedestrians may be crossing all lanes.

• Pictured from left, Luke Byrne, Kyle Smiley and Anthony Perott of Inframark

Ebensburg’s Water Treatment Plant has been selected again to receive a prestigious Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) Award. The AWOP Award was presented to Luke Byrne, Plant Manager, for our water system on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association (PRWA) Annual Conference in State College, PA.

AWOP is a national filter plant optimization effort among numerous states, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) and you. For the seventeenth consecutive year in Pennsylvania, AWOP will recognize outstanding efforts toward optimizing filter plant turbidity performance with a prestigious AWOP Award. The top performing filter plants that submitted their 2023 WebOAS turbidity data will receive an AWOP Award this year. This year 9 small filter plants (serving <10,000 people) will be presented with AWOP Awards at the PRWA conference. We hope to present AWOP Awards next year as well. So please continue to submit your turbidity data to remain eligible for an AWOP Award next year. WebOAS turbidity submittal is required in order to participate in AWOP and be eligible for an AWOP Award.

The Ebensburg Borough will be doing Fire Hydrant Flow Tests today, Monday, September 18th at 6 pm. Flow tests may affect water pressure on the 100 block of East High Street, 100 block of West High Street, 100 block of South Center Street, 100 block of North Center Street, 1100 block of North Center Street and the 700 block of West High Street.

If dirty water occurs, please run your cold water until it runs clear.

Thank you for your patience.