Two Fountain Hill pedestrians told Borough Council Monday that more needs to be done to help keep them safe, but officials said they are limited in what they can do to improve the situation.
One resident said she believes more people are speeding through the borough’s alleys–where she often walks her service dog–in an effort to get around road work that is taking place on Broadway.
“I’m taking my life and the life of my beloved service dog into my hands every time I walk,” she told council. “We need some help.”
She said she believes much of the speeding is being done by “local Fountain Hill people.”
Another resident said more stop signs are needed at cross streets. For example, she said vehicles turning south on N. Clewell Street from the direction of Delaware Avenue pick up speed as they coast down the hill toward Seneca Street, where there is no stop sign for north-south vehicular traffic. That particular intersection is around the corner from Borough Hall and the police station.
Police Chief Ed Bachert said certain criteria must be met in order to install a stop sign at an intersection, and a traffic study would be necessary in order to measure vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Documentation of at least seven accidents in a one-year period is another statistic that could be helpful in establishing the need for a stop sign at a particular intersection, he said.
Bachert said there has not been a pedestrian-involved accident in the borough in the past three years, however the residents argued that there have been many close calls, especially recently.
“Something has got to be done before myself or anyone else ends up dead, and if anything happens to my service dog there is going to be hell to pay,” said the first resident who spoke.
Council president Norm Blatt said the borough is “limited with what we can do by state law,” but promised that efforts to bolster pedestrian safety will be stepped up if possible.
He also encouraged residents to report aggressive driving they witness to the police.
In other business, council announced that a vacancy due to the resignation of council member Erica Graham will be filled by appointment.
To apply for the seat, individuals must be registered to vote and must have had residency in the borough for at least a year.
Council said the vacancy will be advertised on the borough website.
Graham’s four-year term on the seven-member council was scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2025. More information about council is available on the website.
Council normally holds a regular meeting on the first Monday of the month and a workshop meeting on the third Wednesday of each month. Meeting minutes and agendas are published online.
A resident told Fountain Hill Borough Council that vehicles come “flying down” N. Clewell Street, endangering pedestrians trying to walk across it at Seneca Street (pictured above). Officials said that in order to install a stop sign for north-south traffic at the intersection a traffic study would need to be performed. Police chief Ed Bachert said that a documented history of accidents within a certain period could also help demonstrate need.
