Scranton Feels Buyer’s Remorse for Naming “Biden Street”

When Joe Biden was first elected as president of the United States, those from his hometown and place of birth were likely fairly proud. But it seems that since that fateful day three years ago, much of that excitement has turned to buyer’s remorse.

Take the residents of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for instance.

Here, if you didn’t know, is Biden’s place of birth. No, he didn’t actually live here long, calling the state of Delaware home.

However, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that those from the city were proud to have brought a sitting US president into the world. You know how my home state of Indiana was proud to have produced such greats as David Letterman, Larry Bird, Mike Pence, and Abraham Lincoln (who spent much of his boyhood in the Hoosier state.)

Scranton was so proud, in fact, that in July 2021, the Scranton City Council unanimously voted to rename several well-known parts of the city after their beloved Biden.

Nearly overnight, the Central Scranton Expressway became the “President Joseph R. Biden Expressway.” The city also took on a “Biden Street,” a “Biden Highway,” and a “Joe Biden Way.” The latter is a residential street where Biden’s boyhood home is located.

And as it turns out, most in the community aren’t all that impressed with the changes, especially after Biden’s presidency has turned into a complete disaster.

According to the New York Post, most Scrantonites “are fed up with native son Joe.”

On Biden Street in Scranton, voters are fed up with native son Joe https://t.co/Ez7lmaJw4N pic.twitter.com/wLFryDhCPI

— New York Post (@nypost) October 18, 2023

Among other things, residents and business owners alike think the move was “stupid” and a “waste of money.”

Biden Street, in particular, is disliked. Before being renamed, it was known as Spruce Street and was one of the busiest and most well-known streets in town. Businesses line both sides of the downtown roadway.

But today, traffic is decidedly lighter.

As business owners noted, even from the start, the name change caused problems. Business cards, stationary, etc., all had to be changed. But even more upsetting is that some customers simply stopped shopping on the street, not wanting to have anything to do with the Biden name.

Biden St., Biden Expressway. Kind of a big joke up here. We usually just "give the finger" to the signs while passing.

— Bernie Skalla (@brushburn25) October 18, 2023