York County Township Wins Road Safety Improvement Award

Springettsbury Township in York County received the first runner-up award in the 23rd Annual Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest at the annual convention of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors in Hershey April 17-20. The township received the award for implementing traffic-calming measures on a residential road.

The township association sponsors the statewide Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest each year in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association and the state Department of Transportation to recognize townships for their extensive contributions of time and effort in making roads and bridges safer.

Springettsbury Township was recognized for its efforts to improve traffic flow and safety on the residential roads of the East York neighborhood.

A neighborhood group approached township officials and requested that something be done about the increased traffic and vehicle speed occurring on neighborhood roads as motorists sought to avoid state route 462. Over the past decade, area residents had complained of tremendous increases in traffic, reckless driving, speeding, and even accidents. Springettsbury officials consulted with the township engineer, First Capital Engineering, to explore potential solutions.

Traffic studies and counts performed by First Capital Engineering and the Transportation Resource Group indicated that traffic-calming measures, such as circles or medians, would be the most cost-effective solution. Multiway stop signs were considered, but experts determined that they would not improve traffic safety and might actually encourage motorists to speed up to regain lost time.

Township officials met with neighborhood focus groups more than a dozen times over the next year and solicited input from township residents on the traffic issues.

The crucial area to be addressed was a 45-degree turn onto Eastern Boulevard from eastbound Market Street, which allowed motorists to easily take this alternate route to avoid congestion on Market Street while maintaining a high speed. A landscaped island would make it less convenient for cars to slip into the right turn and require drivers to slow down to navigate the space between the curb and the island.

With resident approval, the township constructed the landscaped median island and installed speed bumps on a neighboring road. The improvements have resulted in decreased speeding, accidents, and traffic volume in the East York neighborhood. The addition of the island also required the construction of a significant drainage system to maintain safe driving conditions around the island.

Township manager John Holman says the project has reduced traffic on Eastern Boulevard by 20 percent and has reduced the speed of the vehicles that continue to use the road as an alternate route. “The project definitely met our goals and objectives for that area,” he says. “As a result, we’ll continue to use traffic safety and calming measures throughout the township.”

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,456 townships of the second class and for the past 84 years has been committed to preserving and strengthening township government and securing greater visibility and involvement for townships in the state and federal political arenas. Townships of the second class represent more residents — 5.1 million Pennsylvanians — than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth.

Note: This news release and a downloadable photo of the award presentation are posted at www.psats.org. Click on “Press Releases” under “News/Media Relations” on the left side of the home page.

Note: John Holman, Springettsbury Township manager, can be reached at (717) 757-3521.

Photo credit: Socolow Photography