Borough Residents Press For Traffic Safety

By Andrew Gorosko

Residents of three streets in the borough are pressing the Police Commission to resolve traffic hazards in the area posed by careless motorists who drive too fast and cause auto accidents.

Residents of Schoolhouse Hill Road, The Boulevard, and Wendover Road say they want the commission to make their streets safer. The Police Commission is the local traffic authority.

The east-west Schoolhouse Hill Road parallels Church Hill Road. The north-south Boulevard and Wendover Road each link Schoolhouse Hill Road to Church Hill Road.

Resident Mark Principi of 12 Schoolhouse Hill Road told Police Commission members March 1 that during the past 14 months there have been three motor vehicle accidents near his property, adding that two of those accidents have occurred during the last three months.

Traffic problems that lead to such accidents must be solved, he said.

Vehicles travel too fast down a slope on Schoolhouse Hill Road approaching its intersection with Wendover Road, he said. Mr Principi suggested that the town install a stop sign on Schoolhouse Hill Road at that intersection. There is now a stop at that intersection on Wendover Road.

Richard LaBash of 16 Wendover Road said he is working to heighten public awareness of problems posed by increased local traffic flow.

The town’s occasional use of a speed display device and posting of a police officer to watch for violators is insufficient to solve the problem, he said, noting that motorists seem to have an inclination to drive faster than they should.

Mr LaBash promised that he will start a campaign for improved local traffic control. The Police Commission and borough government officials must work in unison to improve travel safety, he said.

Victor Krochta of 8 The Boulevard suggested that plastic or rubber speed bumps be installed in the area during times of the year when weather permits as a way to deter speeding. Motorists also do not appear to grant the right-of-way to pedestrians in areas where there are no sidewalks, he added. None of the three streets have sidewalks.

Mr Krochta urged that the Police Commission focus on one or two streets in an experiment on traffic control.

In response, Police Chief Michael Kehoe said that an increasing local population means there will be increasing local traffic. The town’s population grew by more than 20 percent from 1990 to 2000, rising to just over 25,000 residents.

“This is not just a Schoolhouse Hill Road issue; it’s a townwide problem,” he said.

Police operate with limited resources, but do conduct “directed patrols” that focus on reported traffic problems, he said.

“Police are trying to do the best they can with a limited amount of resources,” the police chief said.

Chief Kehoe pointed out that stop signs are not installed to control travel speeds, but as a way to regulate the right-of-way at intersections.

Speed bumps are not considered useful devices for traffic control on local roads, he said.

The police chief suggested that the town perform a traffic study to gauge conditions on Schoolhouse Hill Road, The Boulevard, and Wendover Road.

Pointing out that the southern end of Queen Street will be the subject of an upcoming traffic study, Chief Kehoe suggested that the lessons learned from that study be applied to other streets in the area.

Police Captain Joe Rios pointed out that when police are posted in an area to check for traffic problems, motorists tend to slow down. But when police are absent, the travel speeds increase, he added. Police will seek to heighten their presence on Schoolhouse Hill Road, The Boulevard, and Wendover Road, he said.

Mr LaBash said area residents will help police achieve traffic solutions for the area.

Police Commission Chairman Carol Mattegat said that she occasionally drives on Schoolhouse Hill Road and encounters pedestrians who are walking two abreast on that street, posing traffic hazards. Pedestrians should instead walk in a line when walking on the road, she said.

“We need to address this [traffic problem]. It’s getting worse, not better,” said Valerie Principi of 12 Schoolhouse Hill Road.

Police will take the steps that are possible with the resources available to them, Chief Kehoe said.

“We do hear you loud and clear…We’re going to do for you the best we can, the quickest we can,” said Police Commission member Richard Simon.

During the past six months, the residents of Queen Street have mobilized to press the Police Commission for traffic safety improvements in that area. The northern end of Queen Street holds a shopping district, Newtown Middle School, and some houses. The southern end of Queen Street is residential.