Lancaster County Township Wins Road Safety Improvement Award

West Lampeter Township in Lancaster County was presented with the first runner-up award in the 22nd Annual Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest at the annual convention of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors in Hershey April 18-21 for improving safety at a dangerous intersection in the township.

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 safer.

West Lampeter Township was recognized for its efforts to make an important route safer and more efficient, benefiting motorists, property owners, and the entire community.

The cause of the township’s concerns was Village Road (SR 741), the major east-west corridor through the township. The intersection of Village and Lampeter Roads was the site of 52 accidents within the last five years, due in large part to the narrow travel that did not allow for traffic moving through the intersection to safely pass cars attempting to make left turns. Local drivers, well aware of the backups that occurred, would often pass through a yellow or red signal to avoid the delays.

Faced with daily traffic tie-ups and worried that the heavy traffic would prevent emergency vehicles from quickly passing through the intersection in the event of an accident, the supervisors saw no other option than to make some major changes at the intersection.

The area also lacked sidewalks, making it nearly impossible for residents to walk through the village to the neighborhood store, municipal center, post office, township fairgrounds, and community park, forcing them to drive to areas that would otherwise be a short trip on foot.

To address the traffic tie-ups, Village Road was widened to provide left turn lanes at the intersection of Lampeter Road. Working with PENNDOT and their local legislators, the township instituted a design that preserved the buildings and character of the village.

Stormwater drainage was also a concern at the intersection and all along village road, so the township timed its improvements to coincide with work being performed by the Suburban Lancaster Sewer Authority. Because the authority’s work would require closure and excavation on Village Road, all of the work was performed under one contract through the sewer authority. The township paid for its portion of the road improvements with township, county, state, and private funds. The total cost of the project was $910,300.

In addition to turning lanes and 3,200 feet of storm sewers, road crews also constructed sidewalks to allow for more pedestrian traffic and thus create the potential for new businesses to open.

“While $900,000 is not a small price tag,” Raymond D’Agostino, Jr., West Lampeter Township manager, says, “when considering the amount of work accomplished in such a short amount of time, the partnerships forged, and the alternatives, we certainly got our money’s worth.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,456 townships of the second class and for the past 83 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.

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

Note: Raymond D’Agostino, West Lampeter Township manager, can be reached at (717) 464-3731.