Falls Township officials are stepping up traffic calming measure with regards to Thornridge Drive hoping to put the brakes on speeders and unsafe driving throughout the community after several recent crashes and scares.
The Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a series of traffic calming measures recommended by traffic engineer Derrick Kennedy of Remington & Vernick Engineers following a study, traffic count and speed analysis that Kennedy conducted recently, officials said.
The township, officials said, plan to add a multi-way stop sign at the intersection of Thornridge Drive and Teaberry Lane. Additionally, curb extensions/bump-outs would be added at Thornridge Drive and Tanglewood Avenue and Thornridge Drive and Twin Leaf Lane along with reflectorized tubular/ raised delineators.
The speed feedback sign on Thornridge Drive would continue to be used to encourage drivers to slow down and officials said another speed sign would be added heading for southbound motorists
“They should be effective to help lower speeds,” Kennedy said of the traffic safety measures.
Kennedy said he collected more than 7,000 data readings in which he said one motorist was traveling at 55 miles per hour, while the second highest was driving 35 miles per hour on the 25 mile-per-hour roadway.
“The large majority of the speed is compliant,” Kennedy said.
Thornridge resident Nicole Paschke, who along with her mother, Margaret Marino, has been calling for measures to slow down traffic, suggested that the traffic calming strategies will not be enough and suggested a tragic vehicle crash in the future.
“It’s the outliers that kill people,” Paschke told the board. “I see it right out in front of my window every single day.”
Falls Supervisor Vice Chair Erin Mullen said the township is “open” to making traffic calming permanent and said additional measures could be put in place at a later date, following periodic review.
Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito has previously said fire departments do not like speed humps because they slow down emergency services personnel.
Mullen said “nothing is off the table,” in terms of traffic safety ideas.
“It’s a lot of exploration,” Mullen said. “This is what it takes to figure out what we can do.”
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