by justin strawser
KULPMONT - Ongoing efforts to slow motorists traveling Route 61 through the borough will be ramped up beginning Monday.
That's the first day that 14 "yield to pedestrian channelization devices" - narrow signs about 4 feet high that sit on the centerline - will be placed at seven intersections along the busy highway, which is Chestnut Street in the borough.
Borough council members are hoping to slow down motorists and keep pedestrians safe as they cross the highway, walk along the sidewalks or
get in and out of their vehicles.
"There are a lot of elderly residents; the high speeds make it difficult for these people to cross the road," said Stephanie Niglio, councilwoman and chair of the borough code, health, safety and ordinance committee. "They (drivers) need to be aware that people live here."
Niglio commented Wednesday morning as she watched street department workers paint markers that indicated where the devices will sit at the seven targeted intersections, at Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th streets.
The devices were provided by PennDOT at no cost to the borough after the borough requested them.
Each sign must be at least 50 feet from an intersection, must be placed on the center line and must not interfere with turning vehicles.
The goal is to make motorists aware of pedestrian crosswalks and slow them down. Council has not decided how many hours per day the signs will be in place.
Niglio said the Chestnut Street essentially cuts the borough into two parts, so residents have no choice but to cross the street to access banks, the post office, the senior citizens center, fire and ambulance facilities, churches, funeral homes, convenience stores, the tax office, city hall, recreational facilities and other local business.
"Everyone driving through here must realize that it is not a drag strip," she said.
Traffic is so constant that Niglio often advises motorists not to turn left across traffic, but instead turn right and find another intersection at which to cross the street.
7,751 statewide
According to information provided to Niglio from PennDOT, approximately 180 pedestrians a year die on state roads, which represents 11 percent of all highway deaths.
Since the program started in 2001 until this December, 7,751 channelizing devices have been distributed free to municipalities statewide with intersections that have a documented history of vehicle-pedestrian crashes or difficulty for pedestrians crossing because of negligent drivers, said PennDOT spokeswoman Erin Waters.
The majority of these distributions were new; only a small percentage were replacements, she said.
Based on a study in the Philadelphia region, a driver is 30 to 34 percent more likely to yield to a pedestrian when the signs are in place, she said.
Waters said applicants must be a government entity or a group with traffic control capabilities, such as a university with a police department. An application must be submitted to the district PennDOT office.
Speed change sought
Council has also requested PennDOT lower the speed limit in Kulpmont from 35 mph to 25 mph. Currently, the limit is 25 mph only from 10th Street to the 500 block, between Fifth and Sixth streets.
Niglio said the lowered speed limit should provide additional safety for pedestrians.
PennDOT is still studying this request, she said.