BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

Traffic concerns in Heidelberg Heights was a topic of discussion at the Aug. 15 meeting of Heidelberg supervisors.

Heidelberg Heights resident Kristen McCullough, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, stated since October-November 2023 state police have come up for 30 days at a time to monitor the four-way stop near Glen Court and Heidelberg Heights Road as drivers constantly run through the stop sign even with bus lights on, as kids are crossing.

“I’ve almost been hit a couple times just walking the dog,” McCullough said. “Cars will come zooming out and we also have a landscaping company that’s almost right there at the intersection, too, so they have their trucks, their trailers just flying back and forth and recently we’ve also had delivery truck drivers mostly FedEx think Glen Court is a slide and who don’t know how to use their brakes when someone is at the stop sign.”

McCullough said she contacted a company.

“I looked originally for beacons but we threw that out the window and we just focused mostly on the radar signs that can monitor the speed of incoming traffic from truck deliveries and, even the neighbors, because there have been neighbors who have almost hit me as well,” McCullough said.

She said the data that is monitored through the sign will go through the State Police, Bethlehem, then police could monitor the area where they see the highest level of speeding, traffic of cars.

“We’re kind of trying to make it easier where the kids are safe at the bus stop because out of five days a week there’s about three to four days of people either speed through, so they don’t have to stop at the bus stop, or they just roll right through once the kids are going on the bus,” McCullough stated.

She said the company gave her information on two models.

“The more expensive one is the solar option mostly because it’s solar and has a little bit less maintenance,” McCullough said. “The battery probably has more maintenance but it is the cheaper option.

“We’re looking to put two on Heidelberg Heights Road, one where the new developments would go right where the houses start and then all the way down as soon as you turn off Memorial right before you hit the main development on Heidelberg Heights Road.

“It gives you enough time from the intersection to where the sign is so that they can monitor the speeds correctly and see people on the monitors slamming on their brakes.

“They’ll be able to figure out traffic patterns better.”

Chairman David Fink commented.

“I don’t know if you saw that we just purchased one for $500,” Fink said. “It’s sitting at the peak of Hunter’s Hill right now by the school.

“Kevin (Roadmaster Huber) was looking for places to put the sign that would have the most impact, so we can tell Kevin to put it over there.

“I think we can get that sign placed over there as early as next week.

“What we would like to do is leave it in a spot for about a month, six weeks and then move it to the other location you were talking about on the other side and move it back and forth.”

Fink said he is still a proponent for putting a three-way stop sign at Meadow View and Heidelberg Heights so drivers have to stop coming in.

“I know we did that one time, and the state said you can’t use the stop sign for traffic but that’s exactly what they did in three other locations in the township without a traffic study,” Fink said. “They used it purely as a traffic controlling event with four-way stop signs at your road, at Phillips and somewhere else.

“They told us we couldn’t do it but they did it.

“I don’t know what we can do. I just think that’s a good place if they come to a dead stop.

After seeing what the state did, PennDOT is frustrating us, Fink said.

“This is something in the most populous area in our township and you (PennDOT) won’t allow us to put a three-way stop sign because there haven’t been enough accidents in there yet,” Fink stated. “So, Geoff (Dean, engineer) I’m not sure exactly how we can really re-look at that.”

Dean replied to Fink.

“I can look into it, but I don’t know if it’s like an MCD regulation or what,” he stated.

Township Manager Dawn Didra offered suggestions.

“The problem is if we don’t do the traffic study and do it the right way it’s not enforceable, so it is worthless, because people are just going to ignore it,” she stated. “Why don’t we try this first and then see if we can get a grant or something to maybe get some of these (speed signs).

McCullough again commented.

“The biggest concern we have is the people don’t care because we have spoken to the people,” McCullough said.

“We’ve had conversations asking if they recognize they just ran the stop sign.

“They are confrontational. They’re not willing to change their behavior.”

McCullough said state police were aware of the situation.

“They saw there was a problem,” McCullough said. “That’s what we are here for today.

“To see what our next step is, to continue it because there’s improvement and we recognize that but in order to continue it and continue the prevention especially too with the gentleman here tonight for the development that’s going to add more people.

“There is a recognizable problem that maybe can be addressed at a higher level, maybe changing the speed limits.

“They are (state police) monitoring when they can.

‘What they did was put in a reoccurring call so when they have time to sit somewhere that is a known location to monitor.

“The thing is if they see a heightened level they see the actual data of the level of a problem that they might be able to come up more frequently.”

Fink said he would like to try placing the township’s radar speed sign in Heidelberg Heights and see if it helps a little bit.

“I’m hoping you’ll provide feedback again,” he told McCullough.